The Best Fitness Tracker

After 60 hours of research and 10 days of testing, the $150 Fitbit Charge HR is the fitness tracker we’d recommend for most people. According to our tests, it’s more accurate at counting steps than most other wrist-worn trackers, not to mention it works seamlessly with Fitbit’s popular social ecosystem. And unique among most dedicated wrist trackers less than $200, the Charge HR uses a strap modeled after a traditional watch strap, which means it won’t ever fall off accidentally. It has continuous heart rate monitoring for both resting and active use, automatically-activated sleep tracking with vibrating alarms, and a legible OLED screen with caller ID.

March 24, 2015:
After 60 hours of research and 10 days of testing fitness trackers, we recommend the Fitbit Charge HR for most people. It’s more accurate than most wrist-worn trackers, backed by Fitbit’s popular social ecosystem, and partially modeled after a traditional watch strap so it won’t fall off accidentally—unlike other trackers we tested.

February 4, 2015:
The update to this guide should be posted over the next month, but our new pick for best fitness tracker is the Fitbit Charge HR. It has the features our readers made it clear that they want: It’s a wrist-mounted device with a screen that accurately counts daily steps. The Garmin Vivosmart is a great step-up choice for those who want smartphone notifications and accurate distance estimates for their runs.

January 27, 2015:
Updated to note that the Basis Peak can now display smartwatch notifications.

Better accuracy than other wrist-worn trackers, continuous heart rate monitoring, a legible screen, automatic sleep tracking, great software, and accurate step counting make this (almost) the full package.

In addition to being a great tracker in its own right, the Charge HR also works with Fitbit’s user-friendly software and has access to one of the most polished ecosystems around. This lets you quickly access your daily stats while providing ways to compete with friends and family in highly motivating and entertaining Fitbit Challenges.

The Charge HR is not perfect: It’s not completely waterproof; the optical heart rate sensor struggles during exercise and cuts the battery life down to 4 to 5 days, versus the typical 7-day battery life of most trackers; and Fitbit does not share information with Apple’s Health app or Google Fit. But these are small complaints in the face of an otherwise well-rounded feature set. Fitbit has had its ups and downs over the years, but the Charge HR shows the company has learned from its past mistakes.

The same thing as our top pick, but with a less-secure strap and no heart rate monitoring.

Our runner-up, the normal Fitbit Charge, is very similar to the Charge HR. For $20 less, you lose heart rate monitoring and have to settle for a less-reliable clasp closure like the one found on the Fitbit Flex or the recalled Force. The Charge does have all the other features (including automatic sleep tracking and accurate tracking) and a longer 7-day battery compared to the HR’s 4 to 5 days, thanks to the absence of the HR’s battery-draining optical heart rate sensor. We think the Charge HR is worth the extra money for the strap alone, but if its additional features are unimportant to you or the Charge HR is sold out, the Charge is easy to recommend.

The Fitbit One is our favorite clip-on tracker. It performs just as well as the Force, though it's a lot easier to lose or accidentally run through a rinse cycle.

While tracking algorithms are improving, wrist trackers still can’t match the accuracy of the clip trackers. In addition, not everyone wants to take up wrist real estate with a fitness tracker. For those who prefer a wristwatch, are involved in contact sports, or want the most accurate tracker, we recommend the Fitbit One. The One has all the benefits of the Fitbit ecosystem, but in clip format. It’s more accurate at counting steps than a wrist-worn tracker, it has an altimeter for more-accurate stair tracking, and it’s cheaper than our overall pick, the Charge HR. It has a rechargeable 10-day battery, which is pretty typical for clip trackers. While some like the One for being being less conspicuous, it’s also easier to forget (or lose) than wrist-worn trackers.

It’s not as accurate for counting steps, but its distance estimates were accurate compared to a GPS watch. It can also pair with cycling sensors or a heart rate monitor strap, and it receives smartphone notifications.

Finally, if you want some smartwatch capabilities from your tracker but don’t like the idea of a full-on smartwatch that’s constantly nagging you for attention, Garmin’s $170 Vivosmart delivers simple push notifications and offers music controls for your phone while providing accurate distance estimates (though step counts can be way off) and heart rate monitor/cycling sensor compatibility. It’s also completely waterproof, unlike the Charge HR. While the stock Garmin Connect software is a bit underwhelming, all Vivo devices are compatible with Apple’s Health app, which makes it easy to manage your data with other software if you so choose.

Why you should trust us

As a residency-trained podiatrist and a distance running coach at McGill University, I understand the importance of setting goals and measuring your progress toward achieving them. Over the past 2 years, I have closely monitored news, sifted through hundreds of product reviews, and spent many hours independently testing fitness trackers.

We’ve also listened to readers in order to better understand which features and options people really want in a fitness tracker. Since the previous version of this guide, we’ve learned that people don’t mind charging their device every 7 to 10 days and that people really want an accurate measurement of steps and distance, sleep tracking, and built-in heart rate monitoring. Along with listening to our readers, we’ve performed hours of research and testing to determine the best device to assist you in living a healthier life.

Should I upgrade?

If you bought a fitness tracker sometime within the past few years and it still works, there’s probably no reason to get a new one—unless automatic sleep tracking and heart rate monitoring are important to you. While a number of trackers have gained some new features (e.g. heart rate monitoring, activity sensor support, smartphone notifications, automatic sleep tracking), the one tracker that does it all perfectly remains elusive. On the other hand, if you find your tracker’s battery no longer cuts it or you have a specific complaint that is addressed by any of these newer models, it’s worth looking into upgrading.

Who’s this for?

Anyone who’s looking to measure their daily activity as they progress toward fitness or weight loss goals would benefit from a fitness tracker. In addition, the social or other motivational features baked into most activity trackers, which encourage accountability between family and friends, can serve as a strong motivating factor. These devices are designed to be tiny and unobtrusive so you won’t think twice about taking them wherever you may go.

Fitness trackers don’t just measure activity—studies show they actually motivate people to exercise more. These devices can’t force you to walk that extra flight of stairs, take the popularly recommended and research-supported 10,000 steps per day, or do the 20 to 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity the CDC recommends. But what they can do is collect daily data, analyze it, and display your progress over time, which goes a long way toward motivating you toward healthier habits.1

But depending on your goals, a fitness tracker may not be the best tool for the job. If you’re just looking for something to remind you to get up and walk around every once in a while, they’re a great choice. But if you’re more concerned with things like accurate running data or smartwatch capabilities, or if you just want a rough approximation of your activity level, there are better devices for the job.

Smartphone apps like Breeze are free, but can be a drain on your already-battery-constrained device. And while Apple Health tracks your iPhone’s movements—and thus, presumably, yours—automatically, it’s limited in functionality and prone to crashing if you ask for more detailed data. Most phone apps are also not capable of sleep tracking. (See the What about using a smartphone app instead? section below for more on this.) While newer phones like the iPhone 6, Moto X, and Nexus 6 have dedicated motion-tracking chips that make these devices more functional and accurate, not everyone has the latest phone. What’s more, you’re not always going to have, or want to have, your phone on you—unless you love lugging around a phone for all your activities and aren’t paranoid about damaging it, a dedicated activity tracker trumps a smartphone app.

If you’re a serious runner/triathlete and care mostly about recording your speed, distance, and route, this is not the right device to perform those functions. You’ll be better served by a dedicated GPS running watch or a GPS watch that includes activity-tracking features.

If it’s smartwatch functions you’re after, you’re better off with a smartwatch that also happens to track fitness, as opposed to a tracker that has some smartwatch functions. While some trackers have the ability to display basic information (such as caller ID, song playback information, and push notifications) forwarded from your smartphone, that data is limited. And even the smartest fitness trackers won’t have third-party app support, which is one of the biggest selling points of the best smartwatches. However, if you just want basic push notifications and don’t care about apps, something like the Garmin Vivosmart might be a good fit.

If you don’t care about the data and are just looking for some motivation, a basic pedometer and a self-imposed goal could be sufficient, but that won’t paint a picture of your broader physical activity the way a fitness tracker, with its automatic logging and visualization, will. You also lose out on the motivation from social-network sharing.

How we picked & tested

In a perfect world, we would be able to find a tracker that is worn on the wrist; is waterproof; and has wireless syncing, a legible screen, comprehensive app support, and a long battery life. Ideally, it would accurately track steps, pulse rate, sleep quality, and altitude. Unfortunately, such a device remains a pipe dream for now. If you take the sum of all the currently available trackers, it’s possible to do all these things, but there’s still no single tracker that does it all. So picking the best is all about figuring out which device offers the best combination of those features for the least amount of compromise.

Before researching which hardware to test or hunting down experts, we published an online survey asking our readers what they wanted most from a fitness tracker. We hoped to find the design, features, and details readers find essential for daily use, as well as which ones just aren’t that important.

Survey respondents told us they wanted a wrist-worn tracker (74 percent) with a screen (52 percent) that accurately counts steps and distance (69 percent), featuring a heart rate monitor (52 percent) and sleep tracking (46 percent). As for pricing, 79 percent of respondents were willing to pay more than $100. And when we asked what the least important features were, year-long battery life (48 percent), idle alerts (44 percent), and ANT+/Bluetooth SMART accessory compatibility (38 percent) received the lion’s share of votes.

After reviewing our survey data, we searched the most reputable online resources, product-review websites, and message boards to get a general sense of which devices people are using. We talked to and got opinions from writers who are covering fitness trackers. After these steps, it became clear that there is not one fitness tracker to rule them all.

In each round, I wore all these devices simultaneously and recorded results of my activity over 5 days. Additionally, in order to test for accuracy, I tested the wrist-trackers against the hip-mounted Pulse O2 while pushing a stroller, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and clapping to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecilia.” More-accurate trackers, such as the Fitbit Charge HR and Jawbone UP24, were able to provide results closer to the Pulse O2’s step count, while others, including the Garmin trackers and the Pebble with Misfit app, registered hundreds of errant steps while clapping or washing dishes. After collecting comparative data, I tested each tracker individually along with its accompanying apps/software.

During testing, I found that each tracker has specific strengths and weaknesses that make it better for some people and worse for others.

As you can see, the data from the Charge HR and UP24 tended to be the closest to our control device, the Withings Pulse O2. The Basis Peak did a great job of ignoring wrist movement during tooth brushing, dish washing, and clapping but was not sensitive enough to pick up steps while pushing a stroller.

Testing the trackers with an empty stroller despite less than ideal sidewalk conditions.

Overall, I found that the Charge HR’s weaknesses were the easiest to overlook, which is why I think that it’s the best fitness tracker for most people. But again, none of these are truly bad devices, and it’s possible that you might be better served by a different model. As such, we’ve done our best to explain who might benefit more from each of the other options.

Our pick

Better accuracy than other wrist-worn trackers, continuous heart rate monitoring, a legible screen, automatic sleep tracking, great software, and accurate step counting make this (almost) the full package.

The Fitbit Charge HR is our new pick for most people because it does the best job delivering the features and activity information that our readers care about most. The $150 wrist-mounted fitness tracker counts daily steps more accurately than the competition, features continuous heart rate monitoring, performs automatic sleep tracking, and is complemented by a mature and motivating app with support for third-party software. It offers a more complete package than any other currently available tracker.

Unlike Fitbit’s previous wrist-worn trackers, the Charge HR features a band similar to a wristwatch and not the clasp design that frustrated and annoyed many previous Fitbit owners with its propensity to fall off. Christina Bonnington of Wired found that the new “watch clasp grows uncomfortable when worn 24/7,” but after wearing the Charge HR for the past month, I’ve found the band to be secure without irritating my wrist.

The Charge HR (top) features a more secure band design than the clasp of the Charge (bottom).

The importance of a wrist-mounted design cannot be overstated when it comes to fitness trackers. Yes, it’s a bit less accurate than a clip-based tracker because your hands move a lot, even when you’re not walking, but when the data is on your wrist, it’s harder to ignore than a clip tracker or phone in your pocket. I found during testing that getting instantaneous visual feedback on my step count, calories burned, and other data was actually more motivating than the idleness alerts found on other trackers like the Jawbone UP24, which vibrates if it thinks you’ve been stationary for too long.

Having the tracker on your wrist also makes it harder to misplace. The less time you spend trying to track down which pair of pants you left the thing in, the more time you will spend wearing it and collecting data.

Beyond motivation, having a screen on your wrist is just more convenient. There’s no need to stop to pull it out of your pocket (like with clip-based trackers) or to sync it with a smartphone (like the screenless Jawbone) just to see your data. The inclusion of the display makes the device a few millimeters wider than the Flex, but without any noticeable increase in weight.

The Charge HR’s namesake feature is an optical sensor that gives the wrist-worn tracker the ability to measure and record heart rate. Fitbit added this technology without adding a significant amount of bulk—the HR is barely bigger than the normal Charge and much smaller than other heart rate tracking models like the Mio Fuse and Basis Peak.

If you just want a bit of general heart rate data during daily activity, the Charge HR will be fine. But if you want accurate readings during exercise, a chest strap is still the way to go.

Fitbit has also been able to deliver decent battery life with the Charge HR, so a recharge is necessary only every 4 to 5 days. That’s good compared to some heart rate tracking bands like the Basis Peak, which needs charging every 3 to 4 days. On the other hand, while we like the additional data, the Charge HR, like most other wrist trackers, struggles to deliver accurate heart rate data during active exercise. We found the pulse rate lagged a bit and was five to 10 beats off when compared to a chest strap. If you just want a bit of general heart rate data during daily activity, the Charge HR will be fine. But if you want accurate readings during exercise, a chest strap is still the way to go.

The Charge HR is one of the few trackers that can help estimate your sleep automatically.

The Charge HR is one of the few trackers that can help estimate your sleep automatically. Unlike with many other trackers, you don’t have the hassle of trying to remember to press a button every time you go to bed. Each morning, after syncing, a breakdown of your night’s sleep will be available for review. While not a precise measure of sleep quality, the feature can give you some general feedback about your sleep habits.

The Charge HR even has a silent wake alarm that vibrates at the time you specify. It’s a bonus that any later-waking bedmate will love. Some user reviews complain that the vibration isn’t strong enough, but in my testing it was enough to wake me from a slumber (my wife typically gets up before me anyway). Wirecutter editor-in-chief Jacqui Cheng, whose significant other has a Charge HR, said that the vibrations occasionally wake her up even though she’s not the one wearing it (she’s a light sleeper, so your mileage may vary). Whatever the case may be, you should check if the vibration is strong enough to wake you before making the HR your primary means of getting up in the morning. (Just set it to go off a couple of minutes before your normal, audible alarm and see if it wakes you up.)

Accuracy isn’t a strong point of wrist-worn fitness trackers, but the Charge HR performs better than most when it comes to rejecting false positives.

As we mentioned earlier, accuracy isn’t a strong point of wrist-worn fitness trackers, but the Charge HR performs better than most when it comes to rejecting false positives. While brushing my teeth, the Charge HR was tricked less than the Garmin Vivosmart (86.6 to 484.6 steps, respectively). And while the Pebble and Basis Peak struggled to pick up steps while pushing a stroller (388 and 186 steps, respectively), the Charge HR was able to pick up these subtle movements and register an average of 940.8 steps compared to our control clip tracker’s 1050.6 steps—even with my hand firmly gripping the stroller’s handlebar. That said, the HR did struggle with clapping, averaging 286.4 registered steps when clapping to the beat of “Cecilia.”

The Charge HR’s built-in altimeter is a nice addition. It provides a slightly more complete picture of the distance you’ve moved by including elevation gain data as “flights of stairs.” The Charge HR also logs the estimated total distance you’ve walked, the approximate number of calories you’ve burned, and the approximate amount of sleep you’ve clocked over the preceding 23 days. It also keeps up to 7 days of minute-by-minute data.

While it doesn’t boast a ton of smartwatch features, the Charge HR does have caller ID and will show the source of incoming calls. While that’s more than most trackers offer, it’s not as good as the Garmin Vivosmart, which also offers push notifications and music-playback controls.

All of your daily activity information can be read on the Charge HR’s built-in display, but the data is easier to digest after being transferred to a computer or smartphone. Once you sync data, it’s stored in the cloud indefinitely, though you’ll want to sync regularly so the cloud always has the latest information.

You can view the data gathered by the Charge HR via Fitbit’s iOS/Android/Windows Phone apps or the company’s desktop (web) portal. The Fitbit app’s main screen and the Fitbit website dashboard design put your current day’s info right up front. They also make it easy to access data from the past couple days, as well as historical data to look at trends in your activity levels. For comparison, Jawbone’s app deemphasizes data visualization in favor of an activity stream—imagine a Facebook newsfeed that contains only the fitness data for you and your friends. (You can scroll down a little further via the sidebar to get to more data, but you can’t quickly look at the past couple of days via the main screen.) We think Fitbit’s approach is more useful for most people, because your personal data is more important to you than seeing what your friends are up to—especially if friends don’t have the same fitness tracker as you.

Providing motivation to be less sedentary is another way that a tracker can help you become healthier. We like the improvements that Fitbit has made to make this motivation more fun and interactive. Fitbit Challenges, for example, allow family and friends to select and compete against other Fitbit owners in real-time—one, the Daily Showdown challenge, lets you try to outstep the competition over the course of a day.

(Fitbit Challenges – Daily Showdown)

While all of the other fitness trackers I tested include interpretive software that illustrates your progress on a computer or a smartphone, Fitbit has agreements with third-party partners that allow you to tailor your usage experience to best suit your needs.

While all of the other fitness trackers I tested include interpretive software that illustrates your progress on a computer or a smartphone, Fitbit has agreements with third-party partners that allow you to tailor your usage experience to best suit your needs. In addition to native apps and a web client, Fitbit offers options for putting your synced data to good use via a number of third-party apps such as Lose It!, MapMyRun, Endomondo, and MyFitnessPal. This integration ensures you have the most accurate log of activities in those apps, including workouts, sleep, and food intake (though you must enter food intake manually), without having to manually add it.

But the Fitbit ecosystem extends beyond virtual apps. You can also add the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale or Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer for even more tracking capabilities. The Charge HR will work just fine without them, but with them you can do things like measure the correlation between activity level and changes in weight. Pretty spiffy.

Unlike the devices from Jawbone, the Charge HR does not require a smartphone (though it can make use of one), as it can wirelessly transmit your data to your computer via a USB dongle. The Charge HR also has Bluetooth 4.0 syncing, which lets you skip your computer’s USB port and sync automatically with your supported iOS, Android, or Windows Phone device upon opening the Fitbit app on those devices. (On iOS, the Charge HR can sync activity data automatically throughout the day without the need to actually launch the app. However, in our experience with various Fitbit devices, this feature doesn’t always work reliably, sometimes requiring us to manually open the app to sync.)

The Fitbit One was a previous top pick because of its step count accuracy and altimeter. The problem is that its clip-based design makes it easy to lose track of and requires extra effort to check the display. The overall design and feature set of the Charge HR are almost identical to another previous top pick from Fitbit, the short-lived Force. The stainless steel backing and adhesives used in the construction of the Force led to a number of skin reactions and a recall of the Force. I haven’t had any issues wearing the Charge HR.

Who else likes it

Brent Rose, Gizmodo: “Should you buy it? Yes. You should. If you want a standalone fitness tracker. This is a really, really good fitness tracker and it’s reasonably priced for what it can do. Not only that, it’s very accurate, it’s super easy to use, and it’s not bad looking. Fitbit really did a good job with this one, and I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the best Fitbit yet.”

Christina Bonnington, Wired: “Easy to use and sync. Highly accurate step and sleep tracking. Well-designed mobile app with data presented in easy-to-understand graphs … While this Fitbit may not be the Cinderella slipper of my wearable dreams, I would absolutely recommend it to family and friends.”

Lauren Goode, Re/code: “The Charge HR is ideal for people who want the basic features of a Charge, and like the idea of knowing their resting heart rate. But serious athletes need not apply.”

Scott Stein, CNET: “Fitbit’s Charge HR adds heart-rate tracking to an already solid fitness band at a great price, but all the kinks don’t feel fully ironed out yet.”

Jill Duffy, PCMag: “…the Fitbit Charge HR is an excellent fitness tracker and continuous heart rate monitor, powered by the outstanding Fitbit website and mobile apps. For anyone looking to get into daily activity tracking, it’s a wonderful device that measures things about your life that actually matter.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

One flaw that gets mentioned a lot in the Charge HR’s Amazon reviews are issues with heart rate accuracy. Current generation optical heart rate sensors are not perfect and there currently isn’t a device that monitors heart rate all day and provides accurate readings during exercise. As Scott Stein of CNET points out, “The design of the Charge HR isn’t conducive to frequent heart-rate checking, either. You have to keep tapping the Fitbit (a double-tap can be customized to bring up time, step count, heart rate, or another reading), or pressing the side button.”

While wearing the Charge HR during non-vigorous exercise, I found its readings to be within a five- to 10-beat range of a dedicated chest strap, which is close enough for general trend-tracking. However, if you are hoping for all-day tracking and pinpoint accuracy during vigorous workouts, you will be disappointed by the Charge HR—and every other tracker using optical sensors. (In order to get the more-accurate measurements, Fitbit suggests you wear the Charge HR one finger width above your wrist bone during daily use and up to three fingers widths during exercise. But at that point it’s no longer a wrist device and more of an uncomfortable, awkward forearm device.) In a review of the more-expensive, GPS-equipped Fitbit Surge, which uses the same sensor technology, DC Rainmaker sums it up thusly: “It’s really tough to recommend the Fitbit Surge when I look at many of the activities I have, at least if you’re focused on true HR accuracy. It tends to kinda get the averages in the ballpark, but not the exacts.” Hopefully future firmware updates to the Charge HR can improve this technology.

Another flaw of the Charge HR compared to something without an altimeter, such as the Garmin Vivosmart or Fitbit Flex, is that it’s not completely waterproof.

Another flaw of the Charge HR compared to something without an altimeter, such as the Garmin Vivosmart or Fitbit Flex, is that it’s not completely waterproof. In order for the device to track stair climbs and descents, it must include a hole for a sensor to measure air pressure. The Charge HR is splash-resistant, but the companys says specifically that it “should not be submerged more than one meter.” The Vivosmart, which lacks an altimeter, is okay to take in the shower and “can be submerged up to 10 meters.” It’s generally not advisable to shower with watches or electronics, even if they are water-resistant, so we won’t hold this against the Charge HR, but it’s something to keep in mind.

While the Charge HR does a great job with daily step count, its distance estimations for workouts have proved not to be very accurate compared to a GPS watch. In order to make these readings more accurate, you’ll need to calibrate your Charge HR. Without calibration, it underestimated a 3-mile run by 0.6 miles in comparison to our GPS-enabled control watch. We hope that Fitbit improves these estimates with a software or firmware fix. If getting an accurate estimate of your next run is important, Garmin’s Vivosmart or Vivofit are much better, coming within 0.1 miles of the GPS watch during the same 3-mile run.

Wrist-worn trackers aren’t a good idea for those who participate in contact sports. If you play hockey, soccer, basketball, or football, for example, and want to collect data on that activity, a more safely and discretely worn clip tracker is a better option.

Finally, the Charge HR isn’t the top pick for those who want to access their data within Apple’s Health app or who want complete control over activity data. Fitbit stated in October of 2014, “We do not currently have plans to integrate with HealthKit.” If you want more control of your data, and you want to use third-party app/software options beyond Fitbit’s official partners, you’ll need to use a solution such as the Sync Solver app for iOS (which syncs Fitbit data with Apple’s Health app), or get a different tracker altogether, such as the Jawbone UP24 or Garmin Vivosmart, both of which we talk about below.

Runner-up (if you don’t care about heart rate)

The same thing as our top pick, but with a less-secure strap and no heart rate monitoring.

If the Charge HR is sold out and you can’t wait a second to buy a fitness tracker, get the normal (non-HR) Charge. We think the extra $20 for the HR is worth it for the superior strap design and the heart rate tracking abilities (however buggy they may be at times), but if you really don’t care about either of those things, the normal Charge is an easy recommendation.

You’ll get the same options for syncing data with your smartphone or computer, the same great Fitbit software/app, the same legible LED display, and the same motivating features of our top pick.

Best for running, cycling, or waterproof needs

It’s not as accurate for counting steps, but its distance estimates were accurate compared to a GPS watch. It can also pair with cycling sensors or a heart rate monitor strap, and it receives smartphone notifications.

The Charge HR beat out the Vivosmart for our top pick because the more expensive Garmin device tends to confuse too many non-walking and -running wrist motions for steps.

The $170 Garmin Vivosmart is a slim, wrist-mounted touchscreen that delivers smartphone notifications and is safe to use in the pool, shower, and ocean. Big improvements over its predecessor (and our previous pick), the Garmin Vivofit, include the addition of automatic Bluetooth syncing, silent vibration alarms, automatic sleep tracking, and an OLED display that can be read in both light and dark conditions. However, the Charge HR beat out the Vivosmart for our top pick because the more expensive Garmin device tends to confuse too many non-walking and -running wrist motions for steps. For example, it registered 350 errant steps while brushing my teeth, while the Charge HR registered just 86.6 steps.

If you can put up with some errors in step tracking, the Vivosmart is a great option for those who would like a fitness tracker with some smartwatch features but don’t really care about third-party app support. You can control music on your iPhone, read text messages, and receive other smartphone notifications on your wrist, but not much else.

Though the display is bright, the orientation and font style of the text can be a bit difficult to read—the text is oriented horizontally on your wrist, but needs to be read vertically, requiring you to tweak your wrist unnaturally. It’s also not the most responsive display: In order to save battery power, the tracker’s display goes to sleep after a few seconds of inactivity and requires a couple of taps or a quick turn of the wrist to turn on. However, actions to wake the Vivosmart’s display will occasionally go unanswered and require repeated attempts.

The display is oriented in the wrong direction when holding your wrist naturally

Its ability to very accurately estimate the distance of runs (with no GPS) is impressive.

Smart features aside, the Vivosmart excels as a workout device (if not as a step counter). Its ability to very accurately estimate the distance of runs (with no GPS) is impressive. On my daily 4-mile running loop, it’s never been more than .2 miles off of my GPS watch, whereas the Fitbit Charge (non-HR) underestimated by nearly an entire mile.

In addition to being good for running, the Vivosmart can communicate with cycling sensors and heart rate monitors to display that data on your wrist and log the workout in Garmin Connect. However, if you’d like a more precise way to measure your running route or more in-depth heart rate monitoring than is offered by the Vivosmart, a GPS running watch is an upgrade to consider.

While the Vivosmart is fairly basic in terms of what data it tracks (just steps and extrapolations from them), it provides motivation to get you moving. When you’ve been idle for an hour or two, the Vivosmart will vibrate and display the world “Move!” on the band. Christina Bonnington from Wired said, “Like the Vivofit, the Vivosmart is a good motivator for combating daily sedentary habits.”

The Vivosmart shares a similar clasp closure to the Fitbit Charge, and while a few have had issues with it, the majority of reviewers (including myself) have found the Garmin’s closure to be secure and more than adequate. If you’re still concerned that it may fall off, the Vivosmart comes with a small plastic loop called the Vivokeeper that will, well, keep it securely on your wrist.

When it comes to software and apps, Garmin Connect is serviceable but lacks the polish and features of those available for some competing trackers. “When it comes to ‘the little things’, that’s an area that Garmin has really stumbled on with the web site. It’s just lacking in features compared to other activity tracker sites like Fitbit’s,” explained Ray Maker from DC Rainmaker. That said, at least the weak software is slightly less of a problem than it could be, because you can easily export your data and share your fitness tracking activities with Apple’s Health app. (Though our top pick, the Charge HR, benefits from Fitbit’s partnerships with third-party apps, Fitbit does not offer users this much control of their data.)

Overall, the Vivosmart is a decent tracker, but for $180, we want it to be more accurate and perhaps feature a heart rate sensor to justify its price. The Charge HR may lack the Vivosmart’s smart features and accurate distance estimates, but it’s far more accurate when it comes to counting steps and has a heart rate sensor, despite costing $30 less. The Vivosmart isn’t bad, but the Charge HR is better for most people.

If you prefer a clip design

The Fitbit One is our favorite clip-on tracker. It performs just as well as the Force, though it's a lot easier to lose or accidentally run through a rinse cycle.

It’s not our pick for most people, since the Charge HR has more features in a more convenient package. But the Fitbit One is still our pick for people who prefer a clip-on device that’s not on your wrist or for those who prefer better step accuracy and are willing to sacrifice the convenience of a wrist-mounted device. As a bonus, the One is one of the few trackers that doesn’t require a smartphone and can be synced with computers via Bluetooth. A clip tracker is also a better option for those who participate in contact sports or prefer a watch on their wrist instead of a sportband.

You’ll get the same easy-to-use and motivating Fitbit app and software as the Charge HR. Third-party apps and smart scales that are partners with Fitbit also help provide a big ecosystem of hardware and software for the One. At around $90, the One is a better deal than the Withings Pulse—while the Pulse O2’s heart rate and oxygen-saturation sensors are interesting features, we don’t see them as must-haves for a clip tracker. The slim, rounded design of the One is less clunky and conspicuous than the Pulse, as well.

If you choose the One, be aware that it will require a certain amount of diligence to integrate into your daily routine. The One is perfect for those who’d prefer to wear a watch or aren’t excited about wearing a wrist-mounted device. Its small size makes it easy to hide, but know that the lack of a wristband means there is a greater probability you’ll forget to wear it—or worse, forget to take it off before doing laundry. If you want to know your daily progress you’ll need to unclip it or sync it up with your smartphone.

For the best sleep tracking & data export

The $200 Basis Peak is best for sleep tracking and exporting your data.

If you prioritize accurate sleep tracking or the capability to analyze your data above all else, the $200 Basis Peak is your best bet. It’s not very accurate at counting steps, and the heart rate sensor struggles with accuracy during exercise, but its sleep tracking is unparalleled thanks to its myriad-sensor array. A recent Huffington Post article showed that the first generation Basis B1 tracker (since discontinued) provided sleep data that’s similar to what you’d get from a full-scale sleep study polysomnogram—pretty impressive! The Peak also boasts some automatic features such as the ability to determine activity type (cycling, running, walking), and it can automatically start sleep tracking without the need to push a button.

The Basis B1 made its name by offering more data than you could shake a stick at, and the Peak still leads the pack in this regard. In addition to the ubiquitous accelerometer and now-common optical heart rate sensor, the Peak also packs skin temperature and perspiration sensors to better gauge how much you’re really working. Those sensors take a toll on battery life, though, so you’ll need to charge the Peak every 3 to 4 days as opposed to the 7- to 10-day battery life you get with most of the competition.

However, quantity of data does not mean quality, especially when it comes to heart rate monitoring during exercise—though this is the case with every wrist tracker. While the Peak did a good job of ignoring non-walking wrist movements, in our recent round of testing it missed quite a few steps—for example, categorizing pushing a stroller as cycling. We also experienced issues with its heart rate sensor during exercise. Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal found that while undergoing a treadmill test at her cardiologist’s office, the Basis Peak rarely matched the EKG measurements. And Ray Maker of DC Rainmaker states, “Basis Peak, you had one job: Get HR right during exercise… it fails in this crucial category.” While we wouldn’t go as far as to call it a total failure—after all, resting heart rate is also a good measure of overall health—it would be nice if there were a tracker that could measure both resting and active heart rate accurately.

But even if the data isn’t 100 percent accurate, Basis does allow you to do more with your data than other companies do. You can easily export all your measurements in .csv format, which you can then import into data analysis software if you want to know more than just your daily/weekly averages. However, Basis still hasn’t said if or when it will support Apple’s HealthKit platform or Google Fit for easy export to other apps and ecosystems.

Along with the new hardware, Basis has also updated its app. While an improvement over the previous version, the app’s small font size and confusing activity stream lack the polish of the Fitbit or Jawbone UP apps.

A basic, but stylish option

The Withings Activite provides a stylish alternative to more utilitarian trackers, at a price.

Let’s be honest, plastic and rubber trackers with blue LEDs do not make the most fashionable wrist accessories. The Withings Activité and Activité Pop break that trend by putting looks first. Both are capable of tracking steps and sleep automatically (swim tracking is scheduled to come with a future firmware update), and both have a vibrating, silent alarm, but neither offers you the quantity or quality of data you can get from dedicated trackers like our other picks. Still, if all you want is basic tracking in a nice-looking watch, these fit the bill. The Swiss-made, sapphire-crystal-face original version of the Activité goes for $450 and is available now; the Activité Pop, made from less expensive materials, is priced more in line with other fitness trackers at $150.

As Felix Salmon of Fusion points out, “The genius behind the Activité is that it doesn’t have any kind of electronic screen. In order to tell the time, or see how many steps you’ve taken…all you need to do is look at your wrist.” Specifically, along with showing the time via a traditional watch face, a secondary (smaller) dial displays the percent of progress made toward a daily step goal. Each watch works closely with the Withings Health Mate app (iOS-only for now) to set silent alarms, display the correct time, and back up and present activity and sleep data. The Activité is available in a black or white body, while the Activité Pop is available in a black, tan, or turquoise body. Both devices can be paired with different colored bands and feature a replaceable battery that can go for 8 months without needing a charge.

While there’s lots to like about the Activité devices, they aren’t for everyone. Each is somewhat thick, and a few reviewers, including Bryan Bishop of The Verge, have noted that the watch face can be difficult to read, as it “seemed very prone to picking up reflections.” Jill Duffy of PCMag says, “If you’re in the market for a $150 waterproof watch that is elegant enough to wear to the office, you might like the Activité Pop. But if you have any real interest in tracking your fitness … you’ll be much happier with a device that is a fitness tracker first.”

What about using a smartphone app instead?

There are a growing number of free applications for those who want to record their daily activity data but aren’t ready to drop $100 or more on a dedicated fitness tracker. Due to concerns over battery life, we considered only apps that are available for newer phones with dedicated motion coprocessors, such as the iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus; the HTC One M8; the Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5; and the Google Nexus 5. Though smartphone apps are much less expensive than dedicated trackers (if you already own a compatible phone, of course), they require your phone to be with you at all times for an accurate measure of activity and, despite the motion coprocessor, can still be a minor drain on an already-battery-constrained device.

Keeping in mind these facts, we think Breeze (currently available only for the iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus) is the best app for most people because we found it to be the most motivating thanks to the push notifications it sends you throughout the day. The app’s main screen presents your daily step count and weekly activity overview in a clear and simple manner. These push notifications provide some gentle encouragement to be active throughout the day and display your progress towards a daily goal. Your personalized step goal is generated by the app and based on your activity history. For some, the push notifications might become a nuisance, but others will appreciate the extra motivation. Wirecutter founder Brian Lam has actually given up using dedicated trackers in favor of Breeze because he likes having one less device in his life (and he also gets much of his exercise through surfing, which no tracker really does a good job of tracking).

Though we like Breeze the best, be prepared to outgrow it quickly. Once you see the benefits of fitness tracking, you’ll want to upgrade to something more versatile, such as the capability to count more than steps and to connect to a bigger device ecosystem. Though training sessions logged in Runkeeper will show up in Breeze, the step estimates aren’t very accurate and the data can’t easily be exported for analysis outside of the app. And if you enjoy interacting with family and friends, there’s currently no way to encourage (or taunt) them from within the app. Though better than the Moves app, which we’ll discuss later, Breeze’s insistence on accessing location data leads to a bit more battery drain than motion-only tracking solutions. The tone of push notifications can also be a little off-putting as well—they’re phrased in a very human way that flirts with entering the uncanny valley. As you progress, you get comments like “Fancy that” or “Today has been fun hasn’t it?” Almost like a chipper HAL 9000.

Apple’s free Health app (part of iOS 8) offers a very basic way to view daily activity on compatible iPhones. It doesn’t have the design details of Breeze, but it does provide the potential to tie into other sources of health information. However, it’s currently not the most stable app—it often crashes if you ask it to provide more details on specific days in a week, for instance.

The Fitbit app (iOS/Android), currently available for iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus and HTC One (M8), is great for those who might consider upgrading to Fitbit hardware or who don’t like push notifications. After downloading the app, you’ll need to “Set Up a New Fitbit Device” in the Account section of the app and select “MobileTrack”—this lets you use your smartphone’s own sensors to track your activity, rather than syncing with a dedicated Fitbit tracker. You also gain the capability to interact with other people who have Fitbit devices, log meals, and receive information from devices like a Withings scale. The Fitbit app has more features and a larger ecosystem than Breeze, and it can be used with a dedicated device like a Fitbit One or Flex if you decide to upgrade.

Unfortunately, like Breeze, the Fitbit and UP apps still drain your battery a bit, but less so since they are not constantly pulling your location data.

Moves (iOS/Android) was one of the first apps to allow smartphones to track steps (it was bought by Facebook in 2014). Though the app works with older smartphones, its reliance on GPS circuitry to provide location information requires a significant amount of battery power. This battery drain, along with less-than-stellar customer reviews, makes Moves an app you should skip.

We don’t think smartphone apps are a better or more useful choice than dedicated fitness trackers at this time, but we’ll keep a close eye on their progress and any improvements they make.

The competition

While we research and become knowledgeable about every fitness tracker that comes out, it’s impossible to dedicate space to every single device without this guide becoming bloated and impossible to get through. Our readers have told us that the features they want most in a fitness trackers, so with their desires, our research and the reviews of experts we are able to determine the best trackers for most people. Let’s start with the wrist trackers.

With no backlight or auto-syncing of data, our previous best tracker pick, the Garmin Vivofit—with its mediocre accuracy, lack of automatic background syncing, and lack of backlight—feels dated compared to the current generation of trackers. For $90, it’s still decent if you want a waterproof tracker with a screen that can pair with a heart rate strap, but the Vivofit 2 is right around the corner by now and has a backlight. That said, at least it has a screen, unlike the next two trackers.

The Jawbone UP24 can go for 2 weeks between charges, is one of the more accurate wrist-mounted trackers, and features vibrating idle alerts and silent alarms. It’s also backed by a capable, well-designed app. We also like that the tracker shares activity data with third-party apps and software and can play an important role in a smarthome setup. But it lacks a display, which isn’t great for getting immediate feedback on your performance. Of further concern, recent reports of Jawbone’s financial issues leave doubt about the future of the continued support of the UP platform—especially in light of their inability to meet shipping targets for their UP3 tracker, which was originally announced back in Fall 2014. Overall, it’s a pretty good tracker for now, but not better than the Fitbit Charge HR or the normal Charge.

Compared to Fitbit’s last-generation Flex, the Charge HR more accurately counts steps and daily activities. We much prefer numbers on a display to the Flex’s LED progress bar. You can get a Flex for less than $100, but if basic tracking is all you want and you don’t care that much about accuracy, you might as well get something more stylish, like the Activité Pop.

Like the Vivofit, the Polar Loop can display heart rate data from a paired chest strap during exercise but does not feature all-day heart rate tracking. The lack of physical button to control the dot matrix display and the fact that you must cut the band to customize the fit of the Loop are all reasons why it doesn’t get the nod over the Charge HR.

While we applaud the Pebble for being amongst the first devices able to track daily activity and useful swim metrics, the smartwatch unfortunately proved to be one of the most inaccurate devices when tracking steps. During our hands-on testing, the Pebble was tricked into registering toothbrushing as steps and was not sensitive enough to count steps while pushing a stroller.

Along with tracking the route of your daily run, a number of GPS watches, including the Garmin Forerunner 15 ($140), Polar M400 ($170), and Polar V800 ($360), can collect and display data about your daily activity. If you’re a runner, the addition of this information makes the watch more useful for daily wear. Just be aware that these GPS watches only record and track a limited number of daily activity metrics. If your main goal is daily activity tracking, a dedicated fitness tracker will provide better, more detailed data and a better overall view.

Seventy-nine percent of our readers want a fitness tracker for less than $200. Like the Charge HR, there are a number of trackers that feature an optical heart rate sensor. The accuracy of this technology and these devices needs to be greatly improved before the Fitbit Surge ($250, also features GPS), Basis Peak ($200), Epson Pulsense PS-500 ($200), or Wellograph ($300) can justify the higher price tag.

While receiving generally positive reviews, the Sony SmartBand SWR10, Runtastic Orbit, Soleus Go!, and Timex Move x20 can’t match the Charge when it comes to the heart rate and automatic sleep tracking that our readers want. Also, while each of these companies have fitness pedigree in other areas, there’s no reason why they would continue to support their fitness trackers in the future if they fail to sell a lot of units. A fitness tracker is only as good as its ecosystem.

Speaking of dying ecosystems, with Nike’s shift in focus from hardware to software, it appears there won’t be further improvements to the Fuelband line of trackers.

A number of companies are attempting to differentiate their trackers by including something new. Unfortunately, most of the time, the additional feature or data point doesn’t provide anything of value to daily activity tracking. They’re novel, but without the support of a full fitness ecosystem, they’re not all that functional. Here’s a list of several that fall into this category: LifeTrak Zone C410 (heart rate checks, not continuous) and Brite R450 (sunlight exposure), Sony Smartband SWR30 (make and receive phone calls), Jaybird Reign (heart rate variability), Huawei TalkBand B1 (Bluetooth earpiece), Lumo Lift (posture), Magellan Echo Fit (display apps and control smartphone), and Epson PS-100 (heart rate tracking with LED progress bar).

The Misfit Shine’s being waterproof and Withings Pulse O2’s ability to read resting heart rate differentiate them from the One, but we think the combination of the Fitbit app and the ability to sync data with computers along with smartphones make the One the best clip tracker for most people.

If a clip or wrist device isn’t for you, Hexoskin and OMsignal offer tight-fitting and expensive smart clothing with health and activity tracking features. The shirts and their associated sensors aren’t cheap and the initial costs will set you back between $250-$400.

What to look forward to

In early 2015, Jawbone will ship its successor to the Up24, the UP3. The UP3 looks and functions a lot like the Up24, but with the ability to measure heart rate using a method that determines heart rate via skin and ambient temperature sensors. At launch, the waterproof tracker won’t be able to measure heart rate during exercise, which Jawbone says it plans to remedy with a firmware update in the future. The Jawbone app now has a Smart Coach feature, which promises to analyze your activity data and provide personal insights. But, as previously mentioned, we have our concerns about Jawbone’s repeated delays of this release.

At CES 2015, Garmin announced the Vivoactive, which is a combination fitness tracker, GPS sports watch, and smartwatch selling for $250. The thin, color-touchscreen device reportedly gets 10 hours of battery life with GPS on and 3 weeks with GPS turned off. Along with tracking runs, the waterproof smartwatch can record swim workouts. For golfers, the Vivoactive features maps and data for more than 38,000 courses worldwide and the ability to keep score.

The Vivoactive will do automatic sleep tracking, and also displays caller ID, missed calls, texts, and more from compatible iOS and Android devices and can act as a remote control for your smartphone’s music player. With the Connect IQ app platform, Garmin is allowing third-party companies to build and run apps on the Vivoactive and a number of other new Garmin devices. Some examples that Garmin is touting include the calendar app Tempo and weather forecasts with AccuWeather. The Vivoactive will be available for purchase in late March 2015.

With the $140 Vivofit 2, Garmin has made improvements to their first-generation tracker that include a backlight for the always-on display, audible inactivity alerts, a more secure clasp design, and auto-syncing data with your smartphone. Though the Vivofit does not feature vibration alerts, it can send alerts that cause a paired smartphone to vibrate. Garmin is also making a big push to increase the sheer number and style of bands that can be used with Vivofit 2.

At CES 2015, Polar announced another fitness tracker, the waterproof A300, which has swappable color silicone wristbands, automatically tracks sleep, and has vibration alerts. Overall, it looks like a pretty solid fitness tracker, though the $140 A300 also bears a similar look and shares many of the same features as Polar’s recently released GPS running watch, the $180 M400. By spending $40 more on the M400, you get the same device with the addition of GPS. That’s a great value and until a price drop comes along it will be hard for us to recommend the A300 over the M400.

The $180 InBody Band tracks many of the standard metrics we’ve come to expect from fitness trackers: steps, distance, sleep, and estimated calorie burn. What makes the InBody Band different is that the tracker uses a technology called bioelectrical impedance to estimate percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, body mass index, and heart rate. This is the same technology used in some smart weight scales and a central feature of Jawbone’s tracker, the UP3. These are some big claims and they will need to be tested to determine if the InBody Band can accurately make these measurement from the wrist. The tracker is scheduled to go on sale in March 2015.

One big point of emphasis at September’s Apple Watch announcement was health and fitness. The Watch attempts to combine fitness tracker features with a highly advanced sport watch in a single device, but with a starting price of $350, questions regarding battery life, and a release date of April 2015, the Apple Watch isn’t a contender right now for our best fitness tracker pick.

There are three different models, though the Sport, featuring a lightweight aluminum body and elastomer band, appears to the most conducive to exercise. It has a pair of sensors commonly found in fitness trackers and sport watches, an accelerometer, and optical heart rate monitor. These sensors, along with two dedicated apps, Activity and Workout, gather a range of motion data throughout the day from routine activities to specific workout sessions. Apple claims that the watch will have the ability to learn your exercise and activity patterns, giving it the ability to deliver contextual reminders and prompts to move.

There are some important details that were not discussed at the event: Apple never said how long the battery would last, but said the included inductive charging system is “simple to charge at night.” The absence of comments regarding sleep tracking or how often optical heart rate sensor will be triggered may also speak to the battery life. Another big question is the price. It starts at $350 but the specific price range for all models of the Apple Watch wasn’t discussed.

At Google I/O conference, the company discussed plans to release a single set of APIs and an Android app to help combine data from multiple health-tracking devices. The Google Fit Platform sounds a lot like Health Kit and the Health app that Apple announced earlier in June. So far, partners for the Google Fit Platform include fitness tracker makers Withings, Nike, Basis, and Polar.

Along with tracking activity, sleep, and heart rate, the Zensorium Being is attempting to be the first wearable to track a difficult-to-measure metric: mood. Zensorium states the Being is able to determine mood each hour by measuring changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability. These claims will be difficult to verify without some extensive testing, but the being is scheduled to ship in spring 2015 and will work with select iOS and Android devices.

While still awaiting the wide release of their original Nabu fitness tracker, Razer has announced a second wrist-worn device at CES 2015, the Nabu X. Unlike the Nabu, the $50 Nabu X doesn’t have an OLED display; the rubber strap and removable sensor design strongly resemble the Fitbit Flex. The new device communicates notifications with vibrations and a trio of customizable LED lights. Razer is also touting the social aspect of the Nabu X, like the ability to swap contact info via high-five with other Nabu owners. But without millions of Nabu owners, these exchanges are likely to be extremely rare.

Wrapping it up

Most people will be happy with the Fitbit Charge HR. For $150, you get an accurate wrist-mounted device to record and give visual feedback about your daily activity. Along with an optical heart rate monitor, Fitbit has a well-put-together app that’s both simple to use and motivating. Unless you don’t want a device taking up space on your wrist, feel smartphone notifications are a must, or can’t live with the shortcomings of optical heart rate sensors, the Fitbit Charge HR is the fitness tracker you want.

Footnotes:

1. In 2007, researchers at Stanford’s School of Medicine released a study that found pedometer use helped improve blood pressure and increased physical activity and weight loss. “Much to my surprise, these little devices were shown to increase physical activity by just over 2,000 steps, or about one mile of walking per day,” said the study’s lead author, Dena Bravata, MD, MS, a senior research scientist in medicine. Basically, they’re perfect for those who want to lead a healthier lifestyle but could use a little outside motivation to get there. Jump back.

2. Since they aren’t affected by hand and arm movements, clip trackers and phones with accelerometers provide more accurate steps counts than wrist trackers. This has been proven by our testing and reported by medical journals and the media. While more accurate than wrist devices, clip trackers require more diligence and are easier to forget than wrist trackers. Smartphone are very capable but not everyone wants to run and work out with their phone—if you decide to leave it at home or in your locker, you’re missing out on collecting activity data during an important part of your day. Jump back.

In case anyone is wondering about the competing larklife band that hit the market recently – I wore one for about a week, returned it, and got a Fitbit One. I’ll be keeping the Fitbit One.
The larklife costs about $50 more, and does not have any capabilities that the Fitbit does not have, as far as I can tell. larklife lacks the altimeter. It’s intended to be swapped between a daytime and a nighttime band, and you charge one while using the other (the battery is in the band, not the device). Without swapping and charging, the battery will only last about a day and a half. There is no display on the device, so you must refer to a somewhat muddled smartphone app to read your data (the device syncs to the smartphone, currently iPhone only, via bluetooth).
Worst of all, the daytime band is clunky, and does not stay closed. The device attaches to the day band via an electrical connection at one end (similar to micro USB?) and a magnet at the other end. My band was constantly popping open at the “live” end. I’m not sure if they have a manufacturing issue or what but they definitely need a stronger connection at that plug. The nighttime band did not have this problem as device goes into a pocket in the soft band (actually a more comfortable band than the Fitbit nighttime band).
However, the more comfortable nighttime band is the only advantage I can think of over the Fitbit – and it’s a tiny advantage. There is no reason to purchase the larklife.

Guest

Been several months since the Force was added to the watch list. Any indication that it’s a viable alternative to the One?

Jim McDannald

It’s our new pick.

Greg Furry

The Nike Plus has one major advantage. You never have to take it off. Mine has been on since June and I only need to charge it about once a week. I even went snorkeling with it without any issues. With the fitbit it always ended up getting tossed in the laundry. I just wish it was thinner but it is no different than wearing a watch.

http://www.adammiarka.com Adam Miarka

Love the new features of the FitBit One, but it kept falling out of the new clip. The old Ultra design and clip was superior. Decided to go with the Jawbone V2 as it’s always on my wrist. They just need to add wireless sync and it would be the best band.

JJR

What about Lark?

Michael Zhao

It costs $150 and requires 2 different bracelets for day and night. Not worth it.

Michael Zhao

It requires 2 bands for day and night, has fewer sensors, and costs $150. Not worth the money or the hassle.

bill

I clip my FitBit to the waistband of my underwear rather than my jeans.. Very stable that way.

http://twitter.com/mikepetrucci Mike Petrucci

What do you guys think of the Misfit Shine? Worth waiting for or is it even best to just get the FitBit One and try it until the Shine comes out and sell the FitBit if it proves to be better?

Thanks for the full review above, I love how you guys break things down!

http://twitter.com/mikepetrucci Mike Petrucci

Disregard. I just ordered one (through your link). I had an Amazon gift card so I got it for $64 with next day shipping. Thanks again for the review!

http://twitter.com/ehnotsomuch Charity Froggenhall

I’m also interested in the Misfit Shine. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Charity Froggenhall

Had a Shine for a week & lost it. App wasn’t nearly as good as Fitbit’s. Might get a Force next year if it’s reviewed well.

CLN

I”ve been using Misfit Shine since August; the device and app are much improved since first version mentioned here: no need to touch app screen with device itself, just tap screen to sync when w/in Bluetooth range; also now automatically tracks sleep including deep sleep. It’s really nice as a motivator since it rewards speed (has an accelerometer) and sustained activity in points toward your daily goal rather than just counting steps and distance. But it’s not useful for training that requires precise stats.

http://www.theuniversalsteve.com Anonymous

I’d love to see you cover heart rate monitors.

Pato

Yeah, me too!

Einstein Edward Calvert

Definitely, this sound so cool!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’re working on something in the near future. Stay tuned!

http://twitter.com/this_is_laird Laird Le

REI sells the Fitbit One…if you’re a member you get 10% dividend reward..or half off the price of the $20 membership. They also will take it back anytime if you’re dissatisfied. I’d buy there if you were interested in trying it out risk free. The Fuel Band is way over priced…I’d consider it for $100. Maybe look on Craigslist for an unwanted Xmas gift!

http://twitter.com/this_is_laird Laird Le

I’m really torn though…I like the NFB but it’s pricey and has less features. IF Nike could incorporate the Fitbit One features in the FB and make it waterproof…for sure $150 would be worth it.

Heather O

I’d love to see a comparison of the Fitbit vs the Exerspy. I just finished a two week stint of renting an Exerspy from my gym. I loved the data and had no problem with it being an armband, mostly because it’s winter. I can’t picture myself wearing it comfortably in public when warmer weather comes.

Regardless of aesthetics, the Exerspy seems to have more data on their website in terms of how the sensors work, how accurate it is, etc. I’ve yet to find any comprehensive articles or reviews that dig into the Fitbit vs Exerspy. I’m on the fence about which (if either) I should invest in.

Anonymous

Another one to add to the list that seems to be getting some good press: Basis, health and activity tracking watch:

I LOVE my Fitbit Ultra! I sent back the One because I actually love the design of my Ultra better. I wish they wouldn’t discontinue it! It lies flat under clothing (like on a bra), unlike the One. I don’t care though because I LOVE the Fitbit! I’m surprised you didn’t mention the BodyMedia in here. I love it to. I use it along with my Fitbit but it tends to irritate my arm. I think out of the two I like my Fitbit better and you get a lot more stats with the Fitbit (which is free) than with the BM (which has a monthly fee).

John T

What about the BodyMedia Fit armband? I find it’s the most convenient and comfortable to use.

We recently updated the post to include the Basis B1. The B1 has a stylish design, monitors heart rate & features a digital display. But the B1 lacks Bluetooth syncing, locks down the data and is more than twice as the Fitbit One. We still think the Fitbit One is the best in this category.

Denzyl

I read this review and went out and bought a fitbit one. After a two day trial, I found a few things lacking that this review doesn’t mention.

In the car, a 5 minute drive adds about 250 steps. The first time this happened, I thought “Oh there must be a pause feature” for driving – there’s NOT. So, I went to the web interface to delete that “activity” since it wasn’t correct but there’s no way to delete a recorded activity. You have to overwrite it with something else. I added, “Sitting” and it took away the calories but did not lower the step count (so the web interface didn’t work).

The other functional problem is with the altimeter. My 5 minute drive to the grocery store and the 5 minute drive includes a hill. The One tracks how many floors you’ve gone up and during this drive, it counted 8 floors in error. Sadly, there’s no way to edit this on their site (or on the iPhone app).

I sent an email to support, hopefully they get back to me soon.

Bill Logan

For cheapest and most basic activity tracker, I’d go with an actual pedometer. I like the Omron HJ-112, which is $23 on Amazon. If you’re tracking steps only, a pedometer clipped to your waistband is going to be more accurate than an activity tracker on your wrist. The lack of an altimeter also means you won’t run into the problem of “steps” being counted if you drive up a hill, as a recent commenter recounted.

http://twitter.com/breedm Ben Mason

I’m curious why the BodyMedia or BodyBugg devices aren’t mentioned. They’ve been around for several years. They’ve impressed me with the number of sensors (sounds similar to the Basis B1 mentioned), but I’m not too keen on a required recurring fee for using it.

Amiigo is still in production and doesn’t look like it will be out until sometime in 2014.

centhar

You did not answer the question. It’s not just my opinion, but the Bodymedia/BodyBugg/Gowear are in a league onto themselves. The others here are just glorified pedometers.

VeazieRes

I wonder the same. The BodyMedia devices seem to be recommended a lot in the weight loss communities out there, but it never seems to show up in these tracker reviews.

Anonymous

Besides size and weight, are there any advantages to using a fitbit, fuelband, etc over an iPhone? I have an arm sleeve for my phone and I take it on runs using runkeepers GPS tracking. Wouldn’t that be more accurate than calculations based on steps?

Anonymous

I have used the Ultra, Zip, and now the Fitbit One. I’m a big fan.

Here’s what I love …

– All three are much more accurate than the other cheap pedometers i have used.

Here’s what I hate(d): It was always coming loose from my pocket. I now use a small leash from http://www.GadgetLeash.com, which connects my FB One to my belt loop (I bought the one with the silver clip; my wife uses the black clamp to attach to her blouse). Their Fitbit Leash has saved me several times from losing by Fitbit.

~Jack

Jack Millan

I have used the Ultra, Zip, and now the Fitbit One. I’m a big fan. Here’s what I love:

– All three are much more accurate than the other cheap pedometers i have used.

Here’s what I hate(d): It was always coming loose from my pocket. I now use a small leash from http://www.GadgetLeash.com, which connects my FB One to my belt loop (I bought the one with the silver clip; my wife uses the black clamp to attach to her blouse). Their Fitbit Leash has saved me several times from losing by Fitbit.

~Jack

Anonymous

I just upgraded from the FitBit One to the Flex. While it doesn’t have an altimeter, I find it to be MUCH better than the One for a simple reason: I never forget it. Since I rarely have to take it off it’s always with me, which is pretty much crucial for devices like this. With my One I would sometimes forget that it was on my belt when I changed clothes, or I would forget to put it on in the morning before heading to work. It may be slightly less accurate than the One, but the Flex is easily a better device for me.

SuperSixGirl

I am a cyclist, using MapMyRide app currently without the cadence and speed sensors, or the mounted enclosure that I was using from Wahoo with my 4S, but now I have a 5. I already have a separate sleep monitor, but I am attracted to the UP since it will provide more data than the heart rate monitor that Wahoo is offering as the ONLY compatible accessory for the 5. So, I searched and found a highly rated from a company called Heart Rate Watch Company that offers what the latest kit from Wahoo for 3G thru 4S only, but for my 5, with better specs for all components, including an tilting carbon fiber enclosure and the heart monitor watch, for only $150, as opposed to Wahoo’s price of around $250. I would prefer to have the features of the UP, as it is compatible with the MMR app and gives me greater and richer data than just the heart rate watch, that will go so far as to correlate my heart activity at particular points during my rides, as well as eliminate the need for my current sleep monitor. Due to sweating and being caught in the occasional rain, water resistance is a must, and I need the bracelet so I can just wear it and not have to worry about losing a device as small as my several $130 Bluetooth headsets I got while working at AT&T (Blue Ant Q1 AND Q2, Sony MW600 and even my Altec Lansing behind-the-head stereo headset. I’m horrible at keeping track (that’s why I use OVER the ear, big Beats in wired and Bluetooth, after losing 2 pairs of Beats earbuds. My point is, I haven’t used the sleep monitor for over a year, since I am horrible at consistency. Lol. Anyway, I’m wondering if anyone has any input or opinion on the Heart Rate Watch Company? They also offer a backup battery to mount on my bike so I can leave the GPS map, the usual cycling metrics and the health/fitness metrics both ON and OFF my bikes.

Jack

Any more thoughts on the Withings Pulse? Looks very nice!

Jim McDannald

Our post now addresses the Pulse.

Rune Aletheia

What about the Amiigo? It’s sounding more and more awesome with each update.

TsuaSai

Amiigo sounds great but from what I hear it won’t be out until summer of 2014 for non backers. Its just keeps getting pushed off and off. I have been waiting for a while. But I am tired of waiting. Also they have been bad with answering peoples questions. So I am wanting to get something else for now. I don’t like this endless waiting game.

Benjamin Baker

I’m certainly interested to see how this pans out with Withings. I like the design of that device better.

breedm

I just got my Fitbit on Friday and already I’m a little miffed that I can’t access my own data. $49 to download my daily totals, and I’m not even allowed to access my intraday details, but partner apps can? I would like to see data-access play some part in the analysis of these trackers.

Charity Froggenhall

I can get my daily data via the iPhone? There is a premium analysis on the Fitbit site, but your steps, sleep, etc. is all there.

breedm

But it’s all stuck in the app. I want to take my data with me where I can perform my own analysis on the data, and use it with other data streams, such as weather or info from my wife’s pedometer. I’d like to be able to get it by downloading a CSV or something at the least.

Rachel

I wouldn’t recommend the Fitbit One, it is inaccurate as it is sensitive to vibration. Mine randomly adds activity to my daily totals.

nofitbit

I dislike the Fitbit. It does not really track anything except steps and elevation changes — a glorified step counter. Unlike the bodymedia tracker, it does not accurately count burn (the disadvantage of the bodymedia is that it can only be worn on the left arm). The fitbit is easy to forget and ends up in the wash, which means you have to replace it on a fairly regular basis. $100 is too much for something that does little except track your steps. You have to manually add other activities, and the manual input is based on a “guess” of what the average person burns doing that activity. Also, the fitbit food tracking system is very rudimentary and pretty much useless. Bodymedia exceeds the fitbit on that as well.

http://bloodnok.net/ dennis bloodnok

you really have to be kidding that this is the best. the dongle often claims i’ve climbed a flight of stairs when i haven’t or missed one i have. and their pathetic attempts at both an ios app and a webapp are to be missed if at all possible. i don’t give this garbage even one star.

Bassem

what about lifetrak move c3000

holycalamity

FYI, FitBit will be releasing the Force bracelet, which is basically the Flex with a digital display and an altimeter. That, at least in theory, would make it a happy medium between the One and the Flex.

yeah.. that blows. I’m ready to shell out the cash and they keep putting off the release. Oh well.. 2014 will be here before we know it!

Allan C. Estrella

How about updating it with the new Fitbit Force. Thanks

Jim McDannald

The post has been updated.

Sam Cook

I’ve been using the Fitibit One for nearly a year, and have had a positive experience with it, but I thought I’d add a few notes.

-The article says that the clip is grey, when actually the clips come in black and burgundy to match the available colors of the device.
-There is a tendency for the silicon cover on the clips to separate around the metal underneath; it only recently started happening on mine after 11 months of daily use, but I’ve seen other people complain about it happening much sooner. This doesn’t prevent the clip from attaching securely, but could cause the metal to wear on your clothes. Based on some user reviews I’ve seen, Fitbit support will sometimes replace the clip for free, but if not it’s $15 to get a new one.
-The clip attaches pretty firmly, but orienting it so that the device is to the inside of your pocket or clothing will greatly reduce the chance that it will catch on something and pop off during the day.
-I know another user who has put her Fitbit One through the washer and dryer twice without any ill effects. I wouldn’t recommend counting on that level of resilience, but for what it’s worth the case and device seem to be pretty good at keeping water out.

panzer

i look forward to see if the Polar Loop is a worthy competitor in a crowded field of fitness trackers

Jim McDannald

We talk about the Polar Loop in our updated post.

Brian D

I have a Jawbone Up and I have to say I’ve been pretty disappointed in the reliability. I’ve had it replaced once because it just died. And i woke up earlier this week to find that the button on the replacement just broke off. Fortunately, Jawbone has been great about sending warranty replacements but several of my teammates in the app have jumped ship to other platforms so I’m considering a switch.
I like the idea of the Fitbit One because I could wear it during a soccer game or while rock climbing. Both of these activities require my wrists to be free of any devices and they are my main exercises. I also like the wireless sync feature and altimeter.

CT

I upgraded from a Fitbit Flex to the Fitbit Force a little over a week ago and love it. With the addition of the OLED display, I’ve also been able to replace my watch as well. I wear it 24/7 and use the alarm to wake me up without having to disturb my wife. I also use the alarm remind me of specific daily events. I enjoy viewing my sleep patterns to see how many times I’m “restless” or “awake”. I’m a member of a local running club and regularly run 20+ miles/week. The Flex was very secure and I never had any problems with it falling off. I suspect the Force, with a similar clasping system, will prove to be just as secure. Lastly, I like how it syncs seamlessly with MapMyRun.

Jim McDannald

We agree with you, CT. The Fitbit Flex is our favorite.

Malbec

can you please update this section! Your reviews were very useful, now there are many new products. Thanks

Jim McDannald

We’ve updated the post.

ClosetKlingon

Been several months since the Force was added to the watch list. Are there any indications that it’s a viable alternative to the One?

Jim McDannald

We’ve got a refresh of the post coming out soon.

http://www.techipedia.com/ tamar

This article needs some updating to consider the newer hardware (e.g. the Withings, which I own and like but am not a huge fan compared to the next product I’m about to reference).

While Striiv doesn’t really seem to support it these days (they seem to favor the Android/iOS apps), I would love for this article to consider the Striiv Smart Pedometer (not to be confused with Striiv Play, which is what you wrote about – this is the Smart Pedometer: http://www.striiv.com/products/striiv/). I believe it blows the Fitbit/Jawbone out of the water, but I’d love for you guys to take a good look at it and let me know if you agree.

It’s not the ugly Striiv Play. It’s a great product with built-in extras that truly motivate the wearer. Please check it out and let me know if you agree.

Jim McDannald

We’re almost finished with our picks and current thoughts on fitness trackers.

http://www.techipedia.com/ tamar

Thanks Jim. I hope that means you’ve considered evaluating the Striiv Smart Pedometer as part of your revised picks. No one ever gives it love and it surprises me. I have zero relationship to the company so this shouldn’t be seen as a PR play, but I’ve also tried a few fitness trackers and nothing compares to it in terms of keeping me interested and motivated. (It has game play, races, challenges throughout the day, and donations are given to three charities based on your activity. It’s quite a cool product.)

Jim McDannald

The post is updated and we talk a bit about the Striiv devices,

http://www.techipedia.com/ tamar

“While we applaud them on their original ideas in the category, we think the instantaneous feedback provided by a wrist mounted device and seamless syncing beats out gamification.”

Meh, you clearly didn’t use the product. There is ALSO instantaneous feedback with the device. Gamification is an extra element, not the primary purpose of the device. And the gamification is *hugely* motivational. It beats out other pedometers I’ve used by far because you’re constantly going back and being challenged (e.g. “Take another 100 steps!”) Does the Fitbit Force do that?!

I go to The Wirecutter because I like to get informed purchase decisions. Please do me and others the courtesy of evaluating the device rather than providing an opinion that indicates that you’re guessing how it works rather than showing that you’ve actually used it.

http://www.techipedia.com/ tamar

Wow Jim, did you really delete my criticism of the lack of consideration and evaluation of a product, rather injecting your own opinion into the article without actually using said device? I have just lost complete respect for The Wirecutter and will convey this to your executive leadership–who, buy the way, I worked with at Gawker.

You fail to recognize that I have no (!) relationship at all with this company. I have a pretty strong affinity to the product, and I believe that users of the products will be converts. But I reiterate what you’ve deleted: I come to the Wirecutter to make informed purchase decisions. I cannot do so if someone is going to use 2 of 5 devices and will recommend his favorite among the ones he’s used, simply discounting another product because he doesn’t want to try it.

Michael Zhao

Tamar, Brian and I made the decision to delete your comments because they were disrespectful and added nothing to the conversation. Here’s what you said: “I go to The Wirecutter because I like to get informed purchase decisions. Please do me and others the courtesy of evaluating the device rather than providing an opinion that indicates that you’re guessing how it works rather than showing that you’ve actually used it.”

You will note that we previously evaluated the Striiv hands on in the original iteration of this guide and determined it was not as good as the Fitbit for most people but was a good option for some people who would prefer to spend less. If it works for you, that is good. I’m happy for you. But for you to come in here and insult our work on the basis that you personally have a strong affinity for a particular product is not constructive feedback. It is trolling and we have a strict no-trolls policy for our comments section.

If you would like to rephrase your comment in a constructive manner, we’d be happy to hear you out.

http://www.techipedia.com/ tamar

Sorry, you (and Brian) and I will disagree on that point. My comment was not trolling. Trolling is being a dick. I simply said that I found the lack of consideration troublesome and it did not give me the information I needed to make an informed purchase decision because the product requested was not evaluated.

I realize this is your passion project, but you’re reading too much into what I tried to say. In my eyes, it was professional but disagreeable. I honestly did not expect it to offend any of you–it was simply a firmer request to give you guys something to think about and reevaluate. I expected the writers to have some thicker skin since there was no harm intended in saying what I said. I apologize that it didn’t come across that way.

Sadly, I guess I’ll revise or not send the email I’m working on to Brian since Brian left his $0.02 here. But the bottom line for me is this: I didn’t ask for more than consideration. Instead of consideration, I felt that it was blown off with an update to the article that felt a bit offensive to me as the reader who made the request–and then my comments were deleted. Perhaps you can try to see it from my side too.

Have a good way as well and good luck with your site.

brian lam

Tamar, thanks for reading. We stand by our work. And as someone who worked at gawker, you should appreciate that we dont try to test everything ourselves, when indeed, some stuff isn’t worth testing. Jim is a dr and a college running coach and writer. Peter Ha, who assisted us on this piece, is one of the most knowledgable writers around. We wrote this piece knowing that if we’d tested the other few, it would not add significant data, because we chose to reference, as you can see in our guide, the natural limitations of the devices and the opinions of solid reviewers who we trust.

I know when you and I worked at gawker, it was cool to shit talk places and people without being constructive, but that’s not how I really want to live now. Your comment was angry, and it seemed like you were taking your emotions out on us. If you do that, I will delete your posts, because I dont have time for that shit.

Have a good day

hoppernet123

NB – The Basis B1 does have an IPhone and Android app, and does offer bluetooth syncing.

Jim McDannald

We talk about the B1 in our update. We wish that it could sync a bit faster and didn’t require the button pushes.

Michael Sandry

Jim, what tracker is best for swimming, biking and running? I’m thinking the B1 but would appreciate your thoughts.

Jim McDannald

Not sure that any tracker is going to give you any meaningful swimming metrics. I haven’t had time to ride a bike with the B1 yet, but they claim to be able to automatically calculate your time running & biking.

I have a Basis now, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I do wish the syncing was faster. It is if you plug it in, though. I really find it beneficial that it tracks my sleep without any button pushes. I sleep much more often than I sync, so I’d weight that in favor of Basis, personally.

Nostromo

Should change to “overstated”: “The importance of a wrist-mounted design cannot be understated when it comes to fitness trackers.”

Jim McDannald

Thanks, Nostromo.

Jon

I am surprised you didn’t even mention the Fitbit Zip. It doesn’t have the altimeter feature, but otherwise does just about everything – and has a 6 month battery life.

Jim McDannald

It’s in the Competition section, right after the Flex.

bryanjclark

AFAIK, the Fitbit Force’s lack of waterproofness doesn’t relate to having a screen, it relates to having an altimeter – because an altimeter requires a tiny hole to allow the device to detect ambient air pressure. (Source: this podcast, where a Fitbit designer is talking about that exact design tradeoff: https://soundcloud.com/lets-make-mistakes/118-dick-in-a-blox#t=4:10 )

Jim McDannald

Thanks for sharing the podcast and information.

Daehder

Personally, the thing that makes me hold back the most is that I like to ride my bike, and no activity tracker that I have seen automatically and accurately tracks biking. Maybe that’s too much to ask, but it still makes me pause

http://arijaycomet.com/ Ari Jay Comet

Great article! Your points are SPOT on … I’ve tested a half dozen trackers lately for my blog and could not agree more. Check out http://arijaycomet.com for my reviews– they echo what was said here. Thanks for sharing… Fitbit is #1

Brooke

My main type of exercise is swimming laps is there any fitness tracker that can be used in the pool? Most of the ones I’ve seen say no but I didn’t know if anyone has tried it or not.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

The Force is splash proof, but not fully submersible. I’ll see if the experts have a waterproof/swim pick!

Jim McDannald

Currently only a handful of trackers are waterproof (Fitbit Flex, Misfit Shine, Polar Loop). We haven’t tested trackers in the pool but after reading their official documentation, none of them have the ability to count laps. The Shine counts the amount of time you spend swimming but that’s it. If you would like to record you swim workouts, the options that I’ve found online are the Garmin Swim (http://sites.garmin.com/swim/), the Finis Swimsense Performance Monitor (http://www.finisinc.com/equipment/electronics/swimsense.html) and an unreleased Indiegogo funded product called Instabeat (http://instabeat.me). Beyond these devices, you’re starting to get into GPS multi sport watch territory.

dradma

I have a Garmin Swim and use it regularly for laps. It is pretty good at counting laps but has some issues with stroke type, etc. I guess if you are a very good swimmer it might be better. I recently received a Fitbit Force and although it can’t be used for laps you can integrate Garmin Connect with the Fitbit dashboard via plugin. Seems to work fine but simply notes the swim as “very active” time.

Did you test the Lifetrack C410? It seems to do a lot of the same things (steps, calories, heartrate, sleep) and also has a watch. I’d be interested to see how it compares to fitbit flex or jawbone up.

Jim McDannald

We’ll be sure to take a look at reviews and gather some information about the Lifetrak C410 for our next update.

Basil Registers

The Basis band absolutely does measure heart rate (accurately) during exercise. I have used it during soccer, treadmill, elliptical trainers etc and it is very unusual for it to lose the pulse reading.

In my opinion the Basis band is not just better than all of the other trackers here, it absolutely blows them away. It is also far more accurate and cheaper than the recent Adidas smartrun.

Michael Zhao

Thanks for your anecdote, Basil. But Basis itself does not make that claim because they didn’t design it to do that.

Basil Registers

What is your point? My experience is just as valuable as in the cited review – where the guy says he didn’t even fit the watch tightly. Fitting it tightly is what makes it work during intense exercise. Longitudinally it is excellent, giving the same readings during workouts of similar intensity; and it compares extremely well with chest straps and finger based oximeters. Whether designed to or not, it works, and after all numbers of steps is error prone and not very useful as a metric of exercise.

http://www.aquademica.se/mogel/ Mögel

Interesting to see … thank you it’s well done , well written article Mögel

Bob

A fantastically informative article. Thank you.

Douglas Johnson

I have been looking at fitness trackers for a couple of years. Right now I am plodding along with three heart rate monitors, a Cardiosport, a Garmin, and a Polar; using Excell to track my progress. I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy 3, hoping to get my database more mobile, but Android’s database program has abysmal documentation and I am going to have to work around to Access on my desktop to keep the records I need. I have about settled on the Fitbit Force, but I already have the Polar chest strap and that becomes a consideration when I read that Fitbit charges to download from their database. Comments?

DavidB23

Yes; for a simple csv export of YOUR data; they charge $40 a year. Ridiculous if you ask me.

Eric Arnold

Thanks for helping me decide on the Force in such a crowded field. So far so good. Yes, after a week the band is still fussy to close but it has not come loose on its own. You provided a link to compatible devices so I should have known, but, my iPhone 4 is not compatible. Only the 4s or newer will sync. Not a huge deal because the BT dongle for my home PC is painless.

JohnL

I have had a Fitbit One, Flex and Force and cannot say enough good things about all of them. And Fitbit’s customer service is absolutely superb. I’ve dropped 15lbs so far…

http://www.drippyink.com/ Chad Fenwick

Started biking and wondering if a activity tracker would be a good idea. If so which one?

Chelsea Clippinger

The real question for me when looking at these is: will it fit my wrist? I have a 5 1/2 inch wrist circumference, which always leaves me with an annoying “watch tail” or means that the watch face (and attached leather/plastic/rubber that flows into the rest of the band) is too large to wrap comfortably around. Would that give me trouble here?

Eric Arnold

Hmm, you are right at the lower limit of their Small sizing. See http://www.fitbit.com/force/specs .
The photo there shows how it will overlap. I don’t notice the overlap as any sensation but I’ve only got an inch or so of it (Large size, 7.5″ wrist, hits about the middle of adjustment range for me).

chris ostrowski

what about the burns reported by so many people who wore the Fitbit Force? How is it still on the market with such a dangerous flaw? And how can you make it your number one pick when this is unresolved? I’m looking to buy my first wristband and just can’t get past the fact that the Force is burning people’s skin.

Jim McDannald

Do you have some links? We have not heard about this.

chris ostrowski

Fitbit’s Facebook page has a lot of posts about it (recent posts by others). I read about it on other sites as well. The company has only managed canned responses apparently and offers to replace them.

Jim McDannald

We’ll look into it.

Icerabbit

There’s also a thread over at fitbit community.

Close to one hundred pages long, with dozens upon dozens of identical complaints, where the fitbit force causes a rash at the metal conact area, often so severe that requires medical attention, after about a month of use, doesn’t heal for weeks and will takes months to clear up.

My spouse’s fitbit force is going back to fitbit for a refund due to the rash that developped.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep we put it in the update above. Thanks!

Mike N.

I lost my Fitbit Once in early December and replaced it with a Fitbit Force, which I have since worn constantly, other than when showering.

I have not experienced any burns or skin irritation, but then again I wear it fairly loose on my wrist, and not nearly as tight as I would wear a watch.

@Mobilethinker

Big miss on the Polar Loop, which also pairs with a heart rate monitor to get accurate calorie burn from “stationary” exercise like spinning, etc.

Concerned Citizen

Don’t buy the Force yet. They are having to issue refunds/exchanges for some of the devices because of a rash/burn left on wearers’ wrists. FYI.

Really a shame because I, too, had come to the conclusion that it was the best of the offerings out there.

DavidB23

Skip the FitBit Force. Getting the clasp to work is a bigger deal than this review reveals. If you do get it to clasp, it will fall off frequently (every day for me). So far I have always been able to find mine when it falls off; but at some point Im just gonna leave it on the ground. Worst design of any wrist worn device I’ve seen. How hard could it be to put a proper watch band on this thing? Junk.

JNM

All you need to do is press between the center of the 2 closure columns to lock it in place… once you figure out that trick, it will never fall off

Chiming in here… I received the fitbit force for Christmas, and I loved it until I developed the nastiest rash on my arm. I switched wrists, stupidly thinking it was something else, and the rash I developed on my right wrist is worse than the one on my life. I do not have a nickel allergy, so I don’t know what it really is. It’s almost like a chemical burn. Either way, I complained and they’re very accommodating with the return.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep we’re fully aware and noted this in our update box above. Hopefully Fitbit fixes this issue and due let us know how your replacement works out!

Jill

I am looking for a fitness tracker that does, heart rate, distance, sleep pattern, etc., I also want one that is waterproof so I can wear it in pool or sea.
What would be your best recommendation please.

MQ

The main problem with the Fitbit Force is not the annoying difficulty in getting it to clasp but the really irritating fact that it so EASILY flies off. Do not expect to have it more that a month before losing it. I loved my Force but after three flie offs, it is finally gone. . The reviewer obviously did not wear it for long. Recall time!

Bill

I just wanted to add myself to the number of people who have had a rash form on their wrist from the Force. I got it for Christmas and this week noticed that the rash was forming on my wrist. It’s unfortunate because I loved using the Force. I’ve grown to love the silent alarm in the morning and being able to track data on the wristband. Fitbit was quick to respond after filling out a form online. They are mailing me a check for $140 along with a prepaid FedEx envelope to send the Force back. Hopefully they will have a redesign soon because I’m already missing it on my wrist!

Have been wearing my Force 24/7 since December (so 3 months), have no rash and have never once had it just fly off. Been really enjoying it!

Trebz

Same here. No issues at all. I have very sensitive skin, and was worried about it when I saw the article.

Marius Piedallu van Wyk

I had my Force for 2 months, then a rash started forming. I knew about the possibility, but as I’ve never had any allergies in my life, I thought it would not happen to me. I stopped wearing it immediately, but the rash got much worse before going away eventually. (PS: I wore mine in the southern hemisphere… it was hot hot hot. Perhaps that caused the infectious rash…)

It also did come off a few times while I played with my daughter and in the process of putting my backpack on (as the straps kept hooking).

They are refunding it and I’ll wait until they acknowledge the not-so-isolated-as-they-say problem and fix it with a new model, then I will get it again. I loved it otherwise.

jess1992

do these trackers as far as exercise goes only monitor steps? im looking for a tracker for fitness classes/workouts(squats,plank,leg raises) not just running and walking but there are so many to read about im lost!

Zeke

One thought on the ‘allergy.’ I noticed a slight rash shortly after switching to the fitbit. I washed it well and changed hands for a week or so and it went away. I’m guessing that it was a fungus (like athlete’s foot) that was kept moist because I was wearing the watch 24×7 and keeping it to tight. Now I wear it loosely and wash it regularly and the problem hasn’t resurfaced.

JNM

I thought I’d add my input… I’ve owned and worn the Fitbit Force daily for over a month now and I have experienced no irritation whatsoever… i usually wear it all day and take it off before bed

MilaXX

I swim and do water aerobics primarily. I need waterproof. I only see 2 have this feaure fitbit and Waterproofed Nike+ FuelBand SE . Am I missing something?

Winfield

AVOID the Force – over 650 customers have self reported awful rashes, likely THOUSANDS in total. Check out the Amazon reviews too – over 70 posts that are 1 STAR and mention “rash.” Typically there is a 30 day lag from 1st wearing the Force to seeing the first signs so be avoid, tell friends, it is not worth it. Shame on you James park (CEO) and Fitbit for not stopping sales after 5 WEEKS of reports of this issue and no material explanation!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep, we have an update box above stating the skin irritation issues. Thanks!

ThinktheForceShouldbeRecalled

Congratulations for posting the WAIT on the tracker… NOT only does it harm people, the clasp is defective and keeps falling off. People are losing their $130.00 device b/c of a flaw KNOWN since December…

The burns are HORRIBLE, trust me YOU don’t want one… I returned mine to Target (Fitbit customer service was no help in the early days – December) I bought the Polar Loop and am very happy with it.

Icerabbit

Maybe you could remove crown from the Force as the best tracker title, because every Force has been officially recalled as of this afternoon 02/21/2014.

Fitbit is still low-balling the number of affected people, but they finally got it, that their tracker was burning people’s wrists severely and that the stream of affected people was only growing.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep we’ve added that to our update box above. Thanks!

http://www.herbietown.com Christopher Herbert

I have the Jawbone UP24. It’s great except for 1 thing: it can’t count steps taken while pushing a stroller or a grocery cart. So if you have kids and you take them out for a walk in the stroller, don’t count on the UP24 to count your steps. It seems to rely on swinging your arm for the stepcount. I wish there were a way to get GPS in there to measure instead. Workaround solution is to put it on your ankle or slide it through a shoelace.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Would it work attaching it to the stroller or grocery cart? Not suggesting this as an option, just curious.

http://www.herbietown.com Christopher Herbert

No, attaching to stroller or grocery cart doesn’t help. It needs to swing back and forth like your arm. Best bet is threading through your shoelace or putting it on your ankle.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Gotcha. Thanks for the feedback!

Eric Arnold

Nice tip about the shoelace. The Force has the same limitation. The accelerometer algorithm appears to sense a swinging arm rather than any motion. But note this also cuts down on false input from, say, driving your car. I get zero or close to zero added steps during my commute without having to add any manual entries.

Will this category be phased out when fitness hardware and software features are introduced to our smartphones? I loved and relied on my Fitbit One, but it fell off my belt and I don’t need to drop $80 over and over.

I think as smartphones advance they will include more and more health/fitness features, but they’re not quite there yet. And phones are getting bigger, which means if you want to go for a jog you have to figure a way to keep your phone on you while also remaining minimal. Food for thought! Thanks!

tonykaye1

Bump!

Phil

Do you have a timetable for a new pick here? I was one of the unlucky few (many?) that developed a rash with the Force. I’m tempted to go back to the Flex, but I’d really like to see what you guys have to say…

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’re still researching, but our previous pick was the Fitbit One, and here is what we had to say about it:

“The Fitbit One is our favorite clip-on tracker. It performs just as well as the Force, though it’s a lot easier to lose or accidentally run through a rinse cycle.”

If you can sit tight for a bit longer, we should have something in the near future!

Michael Zhao

It’s been updated!

Denzyl Balram

“A good activity monitor should record your data in understandable units of measurement like steps, distance, altitude, and hours slept. We would suggest avoiding devices that rely heavily only on a proprietary point system (like Shinepoints and NikeFuel score).”

The Shine does track steps, distance, and hours slept so that sentence is wrong. When you tap on the shine points in the app, it’ll tell you the details. And the sleep info is shown when you scroll down on each day. Not sure why you guys would post inaccurate info like this. For what it’s worth, I’ve found it to be accurate.

Michael Zhao

So does the Fuelband. The keyword there is “rely heavily.” Yes, they track steps, but the main thing they’re pushing is Shinepoints. Also, as you see in the graph, the Shine was among the least consistent trackers we tested.

Hugo Bayr

nice, i need one

Bob R

Thanks for the fantastic coverage of this topic, and for calling out the vibrating silent alarm/idle notification information that was particularly important to me. You’re earned the spot as the tech and gadget review site I rely on for purchase, and am more than happy to purchase through your affiliate links to support the site. You make my life easier, explain the “why’s” of your recommendations and alternatives, and help me not to waste money on the wrong purchase.

I’m currently using the Fitbit Force as a wrist alarm that doesn’t wake my family in the morning. It’s great except it’s hard to change alarm settings because I have to use my phone with both bluetooth and an internet connection. And, of course, it’s not even on the market due to the skin irritation issues that led to a recall.

I may stick with the Force until a company like Apple releases a reasonably priced smart watch with…
* Watch and silent alarm
* Mp3 player
* Full featured bluetooth “headset” that lives on the wrist
* Complete health monitor – even maybe including health information and diagnosis based on fancy things like oxygenation levels, heart rate variability, etc

Zahid

For those of us who own the Force and haven’t experienced any problems, do you still see it comparing favorably with the Garmin? Or does the Garmin surpass it independently of the recall?

Michael Zhao

I suggest reading the Flaws section and figuring it out for yourself. It’s a question of convenience (not having to charge, better strap, waterproof) vs features (vibration alerts/alarms, smartphone notifications, better software)

Garrett Heaton

While not a “fitness” product specifically you should really look at the Pebble smart watch. https://getpebble.com/ (classic plastic, I don’t like the steel, personal preference though)

“In a perfect world, we would be able to find a tracker that is worn on the wrist[Check]; is waterproof[Check, 5 ATM]; and has wireless syncing [Check Bluetooth 4.0], a legible screen[Check, E-paper, visible in full sun], comprehensive app support[Check, just launched their app store], and a long battery life [Mine lasts about a week between charges].”

It also has a back-light, accelerometer and I’m sure a few other things I don’t know about. I’d strongly recommend checking it out, I love mine and use it for sleep tracking using an app called Morpheuz (http://www.mypebblefaces.com/apps/9400/7424/).

Hope this helps!

John123John

you’re right. Smart watches seem like the perfect fitness tracker. My one concern is do I want to be wearing something that nice and potentially nice around for days straight, in the shower, exercising, etc.

The Moto360 is so close to perfect but wtf is up with that battery life and dated internals?!?! Can Google commit to developing hardware already?! It might be time to board the Apple express…

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We do review the Pebble. It’s been our Best Smartwatch pick for a while (first Generation Pebble, then Pebble Steel).

While the Pebble Smartwatch is neat and has some basic fitness tracking abilities, it cannot compete with a dedicated fitness tracker like the Vivofit. I LOVE my Pebble, but it has too many shortcomings in the fitness department. Morpheuz doesn’t always work properly, lots of apps require a secondary companion app on your phone which can be a pain (not to mention costly). I was going to try out the Heart Rate app on my Pebble and it said I needed the Heart Rate for Pebble iPhone app, which is $1.99 and has no reviews whatsoever. Also, many of the features you can pay extra for are already available in the form of currently built-in iOS functionality (HealthBook) or a regular iPhone app (Runkeeper, Breeze).

I would say it’s worth checking out if you already own a Pebble and want to see how it works out for you instead of buying a fitness tracker too, but when it comes to serious fitness tracking, the Pebble cannot compete with the tracking devices currently on the market.

Gary D

Just read your review. You don’t mention the LifeTrak C410. It too has a battery that lasts for year, is water proof down to 90 meters, has a heart rate monitor, lives on your wrist, can monitor your sleep without telling it and has a price point of just $99 dollars. It also comes in a variety of colors and additional bands can be purchased. I happen to have the fitbit one and it works me. I have been looking into the lifetrak C410 because I like the lives on your wrist. Your thoughts?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Will forward this along. Thank you for the feedback!

Jim McDannald

Hi Gary-

Thanks for your comments. After looking at a number of reviews, comments and features of the LifeTrak C410, we decided it did not make the cut to be included on this update. While it does sport some nice features at a reasonable price, there seemed to be too much missing. First and more most, a dedicated LifeTrack app. Yes, while it works with Argus, we feel more comfortable recommending hardware makers that create and support their own software. The lack of an Android app and a lot complaints about the darkness of the display kept it from making our list. We’ll keep our eyes on LifeTrak to see if they make improvements in the future.

Izzi

Hi Jim

I was wondering if the Gramon VivoFit can log food like the FitBit Flex?

Jim McDannald

Thanks to a partnership and compatibility with the MyFitnessPal app, Garmin Vivofit owners are now able to log food.

Jim McDannald

Hi Gary-

With the recent improvement of the LifeTrack Zone C410, we’ve included it our “The competition” section. Just thought you would like to know.

Jeff

I really surprised you did not look at the Polar Loop, which like the Garmin, not only counts steps, but also connects to a separate heart rate strap. I see you cited DCRainmaker as a sorce– he also did one heck of a write-up on the loop.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

You should read the guide

“For those who want their fitness tracker to provide more information during serious exercise and prefer a display that works better in low light than Vivofit, the Polar Loop might be worth a look. The Loop measures the standard array of activity data and, similar to the Vivofit, it can display heart rate. While Polar’s $100 wrist tracker requires the purchase of an additional $55-60 chest strap, it’s one of only two trackers that can accurately monitor and record your heart rate data during vigorous exercise.”

Jeff

Thank you Tony– I missed the paragraph.

boyasunder

Just got the Vivofit. As in, like 2 hours ago. It seems pretty nice so far, but I’m noticing one possible issue.

I was having consistent sync failures right after I set it up. After much trial and error, I believe I have discovered that any time I sync it while playing music from my iPhone 5 over my bluetooth headphones (Jaybird BlueBuds X), the sync fails. If I pause it, things sync up just fine.

Yeah, that seems absurd,but I’ve tried it a number of times now, and I can reliably get it to fair or succeed based soley on whether my podcast app is paused or not. Headphones connected but no music transmitting: sync works fine. Headphones playing music: sync starts, and fails.

Just thought you’d want to know about this possible bug. I’m going to report to Garmin as well.

Jim McDannald

Thanks, we’ll keep an eye on this finding.

http://jonathan-peterson.com/ Jonathan Peterson

the withings pulse exercise tracker has been updated with an o2 sensor and watch band that fixes some of the drawbacks. Looks like a nice device now.

Jim McDannald

Thanks, Jonathan. We’ve noted the changes and will be getting a hands-on soon to check things out.

Bob C

Is this an old review? I’ve owned a Shine since Dec 2013, I also own a Fitbit Flex since Jan 2014 (work wellness program freebie). I wear both 24×7 (yeah I know…) I realize you reviewed Fuel and not the Flex – but I believe they use same tech and algorithms. There appear to be some facts omitted regarding the Shine. (no I do not work for Misfit nor have any vested interest.)

– The Shine supports BOTH Android and IOS.
– The Shine does *not* need to contact the smart phone. It will sync up to about 20 ft from the smart phone.
– The Shine automatically tracks sleep. Fitbit requires you to manually log sleep, or manually enable or disable sleep mode.
– Accuracy is improving (there’s been 4 or 5 firmware updates since December)
– Shine does consistently track lower number of steps than the Fitbit Flex. But, I believe the Fitbit reads high. The Flex seems to be more sensitive to vibration and other non-physical activity. Examples: riding a motorcycle or using a mouse or keyboard. I get a huge number of ‘free’ steps from the motorcycle during my commute. But removing the Fitbit every time I get on the bike is contradictory to your biggest pro of the Garmin, “leave it on and forget about”
– Shine allows tracking activities that many others do not. Swimming, cycling, playing soccor or tennis. (work in progress)
– Shine can be tossed in your pocket or sock, etc and read the same as wearing on your wrist if you tell it how you are wearing it. It’s more anomaly resistent in your pocket – but you may be easier to lose and I’ve had it attach itself to my car keys because it’s magnetized…
– Flex wrist band gets snagged in sheets while sleeping, it’s come off several times while sleeping and I am not alone amongst my family and friends.

I do like the Fitbit infrastructure far better than the Shine. I “compete” with family and friends who also own Fitbit products, I’m alone with the Shine. The Fitbit Web Dashboard is vastly superior to the Shines limited smart phone app. The Shines smart phone app is improving however. Hopefully a Web page is next.

Jim McDannald

Hi Bob-

Thanks for the comments. We’ve now updated our guide to reflect the availability of the Misfit app on both Android and iOs. Since the Shine no longer needs physical contact to sync, that portion of the writeup is gone. Unfortunately, this is such a big category that we can’t list out every one of a tracker’s features. We’ll be sure to keep a close eye on the improvements and changes to Misfit Shine over upcoming months.

Jim McDannald

Thanks, Pass. We’ve made the correction.

evieb

Just a quick point regarding the various products that list sleep tracking as part of their lineup – for the most part (and maybe there’s new tech that I don’t know about yet), they consider the amount of time you’re not moving = you’re sleeping.
If you’re like me and have a sleep-related movement disorder (ex: Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, RLS/WED, etc…) this option is beyond worthless. I have tried so many products *because* I have sleep disorders and being able to track my actual sleep would be incredibly helpful, but every product I’ve tried reports that I’m awake (and often jogging or running) all night. A few of the products that have the ability, have even ‘scolded’ me for not getting enough sleep.
I know this will not be an issue for most people, but just an FYI if you have similar sleep disorder(s).
AND if you are aware of a sleep tracker that does not use movement/lack of movement to ‘detect’ sleep, please let me know!

Jim McDannald

Thanks for the comment Evieb. The only tracker currently available that may have the right to claim sleep tracking is the Basis B1 and it’s optical heart rate monitor. Scientific and sleep show that heart rate changes can be corresponded to different phases of sleep. A sleep specialist had nice things to say about Basis in an article after testing it against. other trackers. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-christopher-winter/sleep-tips_b_4792760.html) Hopefully in the future more trackers will be able to live up to claims they make.

evieb

Hi Jim, thanks for the information about the Basis B1! I’m not familiar with this tracker at all, but I’m on my way to the HuffPost article & their website now to learn more. Thanks again!
ETA:
I just realized that I completely missed this section of the article. So many thanks again for kindly directing me there.

Jim McDannald

No problem, happy to help out.

http://www.herbietown.com Christopher Herbert

Zeo tracked sleep through a headband that you wore at night. It was AWESOME. So much more accurate than my Jawbone UP24 at the sleep tracking part. A little invasive in the bedroom but worth it for the data.

Do you have stocks into Garmin? Their gadget you write about at lenght (even under the other products reviews not to miss it) is exactly that: a gadget. But you seem to present it as best invention after the wheel, so did you get goodies or cookies from Garmin? There are much better tools, even the ones you describe as second or third choice. Last time I read on this site, obviously receiving favors from factories,

cjohnson03

Why are you reading an article about fitness trackers if you have no interest in fitness trackers?

Jacqui Cheng

Hi there, I’m sorry you seem to disagree with our choice, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to accuse us of being on-the-take simply because you don’t like the Garmin.

To answer your (obviously insulting and rhetorical question), no, we do not accept free stuff or payment from the companies that we write about, and we do not invest in the companies that we cover. We are simply presenting our findings according to our own research and extensive hands-on testing, which are all discussed at length in thousands upon thousands of words in the guide above.

I would like to see a tracker where you could always calibrate stride length for running and walking. Also, I would like a tracker which would be able to tell if you are cycling or even motocross riding. It would be nice to be able to compete with other people on even ground, for example a short person will always take more steps in a set distance than a taller person with a longer stride. Therefore daily steps taken aren’t very comparable when you have a tall person competing against a short one. Also if you try and compete on distance its tough if someone cycled and the other person ran for their activity. How do these compare and how could you decide who did more activity? It would be nice to have something like “fuel points” in addition to all the other stuff you mention for a complete tracker.

Nicola bank

You can calibrate stride length for the fitbit trackers…just update your stride length via the desktop

http://about.me/davidlnguyen David Nguyen

I agree that the vivofit is the best fitness tracker out there. I’ve used the fitbit ultra, fitbit one, fitbit zip, fitbit force, jawbone up, and up24, phew! The fitbits are way too easy to lose if you aren’t careful and the silicone case that comes with the one is useless because it loosens over time and the one can fall out of it.

I was really looking forward to the up but it had syncing issues the up24 kind of fixed. I do admire the wireless syncing the up24 had but I didn’t want to have to open the app and sync every time just to look at my steps. It sounds seamless on paper, but it’s not as quick as pressing a button on your fitbit and seeing your progress in 1-2 seconds.

Now the vivofit is awesome because it’s always on and I never have to charge it!!! I hate charging my trackers because I have a phone, tablet, kindle, and handheld consoles I need to charge and I don’t want another gadget that does, especially a fitness one. It’s super comfy unless my force which was a pain to put on and you would be surprised with how and always on screen makes everything that much better when it comes to gauging your progress. I don’t ever feel the need to be bothered by syncing this thing but when I do it’s just a one button press then it disconnects again, saving battery life. I wasn’t sure with how a fitness tracker with no light would work but for me it’s worth not having to charge it with the always on screen

Oscar Cavail

A comprehensive review without a full review of the Polar Loop? HUH???
The Loop with the chest strap and metrics via Polar Flow.com is the most comprehensive tool you can buy without spending over $150. And the sleep analysis that can be performed with the Loop and chest strap blow the others out of the water. You can analyze minute by minute for resting heart rate, how long you are in deep sleep, how long it takes you to arrive at deep sleep, the number of interruptions from tossisng and turning, etc. As a 20+ year cyclist who has struggled with all manner of clumsy interfaces and proprietary analysis tools, the work Polar has done to bring you all this in a web-based platform is incredible and by far the best value on the market today. Use the Loop with a phone app like Endomondo for GPS tracking and you have every base covered on activity tracking and analysis. But don’t get the Loop without the chest strap, it’s like buying a bike without the wheels.

Jim McDannald

Hi Oscar. We’re glad to hear that you are enjoying the Polar Loop. Our guides are not meant to provide full reviews of every tracker available. Its features are very similar to that of the Garmin Vivofit. Based on our research and testing, we felt that Vivofit was the better overall device. We’ll keep our eyes on the Loop and keep it in consideration as these devices are updated and improved.

Oscar Cavail

Here is a comprehensive review of the Polar Loop worth checking out from the dcrainmaker blog mentioned. Personally unless you’re a swimmer, you’ll likely carry a smartphone during exercise, thus adding more GPS hardware to your wrist seems redundant since you’ve already got one in the phone. While these are not in depth reviews, this article should be amended to include the Loop if you care to show the consumer full picture of what is available now. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/12/polar-depth-review.html

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I think Jim already made his thoughts clear on the Polar Loop. To reiterate – We’ll keep our eyes on the Loop and keep it in consideration as these devices are updated and improved.

pendolino

Thanks for the great review of the Garmin Vivofit. Would this be useful for someone that does frequent barbell strength training in terms of estimating activity that is outside walking, running, cycling, etc? I’ve yet to find a device that takes this into account automatically for obvious reasons. Is there a way to adjust for that with the Garmin?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Pinging our expert really quick!

Jim McDannald

There really aren’t any mainstream trackers that are useful for tracking information related to weight lifting and the Garmin can not really be adjusted. There are some Kickstarter projects that are working on devices for this problem and a few smart shirts Hexaskin (http://www.hexoskin.com/en/products) and Om Signal (http://www.omsignal.com) that are advertised to display and record your vital signs during activity, We have not tested either of these shirts.

pendolino

Wow thanks for the response Jim. Those shirts are quite slick and especially the Omsignal. Looks like they are just about to launch too. I’m tempted to check them out though I’ll likely wait for your review!

http://www.hexoskin.com Hexoskin

Hi Pendolino, actually Hexoskin launched at the end of 2013 and is available already! I’d be happy to answer your questions.

255555555555555555555555555555

I purchased the Garmin Vivofit based on this review. I returned it after three days because the wrist strap was not secure and the band fell off several times. One of the times I didn’t even notice it was gone and had to retrace my steps to find the band. My wrist size is not out of the ordinary and I don’t think I was doing anything particulary rough when the band disconnected itself.

I also found the display hard to read and might not have kept it even if the darn thing wasn’t falling off over and over.

Jim McDannald

Sorry to hear that you’re having issue with the clasp. The only time mine has fallen off was while reaching under a plane seat to grab my bag.

The lack of back light can make the display difficult to read in low light conditions, is that the time where you struggled with reading it?

wesmaniam

Same boat as you. Mine lasted less than 2 weeks before it fell off and I didn’t notice until much later. Gone.

wesmaniam

I have no idea what this new vivokeeper looks like but at this point I wouldn’t buy another one of these things. Why don’t fitness trackers just come with a regular watch band like my casio from 1988?

http://orbitalvoice.com Mario Olivio Flores

After many near loses, I managed four months before mine was lost. I didn’t love the device, so didn’t have minded if I hadn’t shelled out $130 for it. The device itself felt like little more than a pedometer to me. It was one of the only purchases where I really couldn’t agree with wirecutter and was left disappointed.

TiredofNegativity

I love my Garmin and never have had it fall off. Did you contact Garmin? Their customer support is SO responsive! My favorite part of the Garmin is NO CHARGING and the red activity reminder. I have lost 15 pounds since I started wearing it without dieting… Love it!

wesmaniam

Totally disappointing. The clasp kept coming undone and I was finding it around the house. Today it came off somewhere while I was out and it is gone. It was inevitable. I can’t see recommending this to anyone with the current wrist strap.

Jim McDannald

Hi wesmaniam- Thanks for sharing your experience. This was a known issue with the Fitbit Force that featured a similar clasp design. I’ve had the Vivofit come off my wrist once when reaching under an airline seat. I end of the strap was unclasped as I got it too close to a metal portion of the seat. I will be interested to hear if there are more Vivofit owners with similar issues.

Nick Purches-Knab

When I went to buy the vivofit the salesman (at the VLM expo) told me that it was not suitable for wearing while swimming and that if I did wear it when I was swimming that the warranty would be invalidated…so I didn’t buy it. I have read lots about the waterproof properties of the unit but it seems that Garmin don’t agree with that…at least when not comes to the guarantee!

Jim McDannald

Hi Nicola- The Vivofit I’ve used for testing has been taken into the shower and submerged in a pool with no ill effects. I’d be interested to hear if anyone has had any issues with water damage.

Diane

I would like to purchase a fitness tracker with emphasis on steps. I can not wear on my waiste, not accurate. Purchased flex fitbit, walked 16000 steps registered 9000. Wear pedometer on my shoe and find it accurate but I am prone to losing. Any suggestions? I like seeing steps on apparatus.

Jim McDannald

Hi Dianne, just a couple of quick questions to help you find the best tracker. What keeps you from wearing one on your waist? In general, waist worn trackers tend to be more accurate. How did you count the 16000 steps during your test?

Admittedly I didn’t go as far down the rabbit hole as you did, for the reasons you mentioned in your review. I’m pretty deep into the Fitbit ecosystem, and worse yet, I feel that food/diet is still more important than just exercise. That is a problem I think many of the mfgs ignore these days. Food and diet are the LARGEST component of your health– and while the Garmin (et al) do a great job of keeping people active, I feel strongly that such devices MUST integrate with food (and hold users accountable for their diet). Integration then, with apps like MyFitnessPal, are paramount to (my personal vote of) success.

Still this is a VERY nice review and I want to say thanks for taking the time to share. It adds a good addition of data beyond my review above… so I hope those considering this device read yours to the full end!

Jim McDannald

Hi Ari, thanks for the kind words about the review. Food and diet is really important but for most people it’s hard enough just to remember to wear their tracker let alone log all their meals. It will be interesting to see if there are way to make this quicker and less time consuming in the future.

nrosser

I’ve used UPs and FitBits, and the one I’ve landed on for the last 6 months or so is the Polar Loop. Love it. Indestructible, easy on/off, the fit is great – just the best all around. I use it mainly for daily activity goal tracking – even though yes it will connect to and monitor heart rate, I actually use my phone for that (with various apps on it, to connect to my Polar H7 chest strap). Love the Loop. Love it. LOVE. Did mention that I love the Loop….

Jim McDannald

We’re happy to hear that you are enjoying your Polar Loop.

Guest

It is very curious that you did not include the Polar Loop in your comparison. It is truly unique, offering a collection of data that is not found in any other unit. And its price is great! I’ve been wearing one for 6 months. Even though I am a competitive athlete, I wear it 24 hours every day. One awesome feature is the band that takes only five minutes to custom fit and clasps in such a way that it will not/cannot come off on its own. The Loop keeps me moving and active, it gives me feedback on my resting and sleeping, and it is even my watch. Every 4-5 days I sync it to recharge it. At that time I review the feedback on Polar Flow. That feedback has caused me to make some significant and positive changes to my overall activity levels.

Jim McDannald

Hi Shane. We’re glad to hear that you are enjoying the Polar Loop. A paragraph about the Polar Loop is included in our “The competition” section. We found the Loop’s features to be very similar to that of the Garmin Vivofit. Based on our research and testing, we felt that Vivofit was the better overall device. We’ll keep our eyes on the Loop and keep it in consideration as these devices are updated and improved.

wesmaniam

Still recommending The Vivofit after how many of us have had them fall off and get lost? Which other ones do this? I suggest reading through all of the 1 to 3 star reviews on amazon. It isn’t a minor problem.

Jim McDannald

We appreciate your feedback and are in the process of researching the clasp issue. Once we gather more information, we will update our guide promptly including my experience during the 3 months that I’ve worn the Vivofit.

tareeza

I agree that the wrist strap comes undone very easily. After almost losing the Vivofit, I have somewhat solved the problem by using some self-adhesive velcro fastening on the band. Not very high tech, but seems to work so far.

Jessica Lagios

I was really pleased to see some coverage of the Basis Health Tracker since it seems to be a little more “under-the-radar” than some of the other trackers out there.

I’m wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the Kreyos Meteor? It was funded through Indiegogo, and I don’t think it’s officially shipped yet, but I don’t know if anyone’s gotten to take one for a test drive. The “smartwatch + fitness tracker” idea seems like it might be the Next Big Thing so that people don’t have to wear two wristbands!

Any thoughts on the Push would be appreciated, too, although that product is also not officially shipped and it’s *much* more niche.

tareeza

After my Vivofit fell off a few times, and I almost lost it, I used some self-adhesive velcro on the inside of the strap and it seems to work well as an extra security device.

http://www.disarrangedreality.com David Burgess

Let me preface this with “I really like the Lifeband.”

Here’s my experience with LG:

Over the last couple of years I’ve had a few different fitness trackers (which I talk about in another post that I started writing that I will post in the next couple of days), but the short story is that my Fitbit Force died recently and I needed a replacement.

After doing some research, I decided to go with the LG Lifeband Touch (hereinafter known as Lifeband).

So I went to BestBuy and picked on up (after a bit of a debacle at the store) and headed back to my office.

Once I was there, I checked to see if there was a firmware update. There was, so I let the device do its thing. A few minutes later it was up and running and everything looked good. About 10 minutes later, my wrist vibrated so I checked to see what it was telling me. All it said was “Bluetooth”. I tapped the screen and nothing happened. I turned the bluetooth off and back on and nothing happened. I restarted it and nothing changed. I restarted my phone and the Lifeband at the same time and finally got it to reconnect.

A few minutes later, I got another vibration alert letting me know that the bluetooth had disconnected again.

WTF?

So, I went to the website and saw that there was a chat support link. I chatted with “Eric” for a few minutes before he told me that I would have to call because there’s no chat support for the Lifeband because of how new it is. They just don’t have the support for it. Here’s our conversation:

So I went to Twitter like I normally do. LG told me on Twitter that I would have to call as there’s no online support for the Lifeband.

Seriously? How do you roll out a new product like this and NOT have support ready for it?

Finally I called. I didn’t have to wait as long as I thought I would, but the automated “press 3 for whatever” system had no mention of the Lifeband. It mentioned everything from home appliance to cell phones, but no Lifeband.

After navigating the phone system for a minute I was on hold for just a few minutes when a pleasant sounding guy answered the phone. I chatted with him for a minute and explained what I had done.

He then told me that I would have to take the device back to the store and exchange it. He told me that once I got the device setup to NOT run the firmware update because Google created the firmware and they messed it up. He told me that because Google wrote the operating system for the Lifeband, that he wouldn’t be able to help me because the software on the LG device wasn’t LG’s software.

He was smug, arrogant, and excessively condescending.

I told him that I didn’t believe that Google wrote the firmware update for the LG Lifeband. He started laughing at me and told me to believe what I wanted.

I just hung up. I was stunned that the support system of a company like LG could be SO terrible.

After I got off the phone with Captain Arrogant, I started looking through the app on my phone and digging through settings. Withing just a few minutes I discovered that by restarting the bluetooth on my phone, I was able to immediately reconnect.

The problem wasn’t the Lifeband’s firmware update.

The problem was the power saving mode on my phone was disabling bluetooth after 10 minutes.

That’s it.

Since I disabled that part of the power saving functionality of my phone, I’ve had no problems.

Actually, there’s an additional feature of the Lifeband that I discovered: If I get too far away from my phone, the bluetooth disconnects and I get notified that I’ve lost connection. I bet I’ll never leave my phone anywhere and then leave without it.

So. There it is. I’ve got 2 weeks to return the Lifeband to BestBuy if I decide I don’t like it. Minus a few little things, I’m pretty happy with the device. I’m not happy with the support I received from LG, though. Their customer service is more of a “sucks to be you” rather than a “how can I help” way of dealing with their customers.

That alone will make me have a very hard time recommending any LG device to anyone.

Jim McDannald

Hi David-

Thanks for sharing your experience. Hope your next two weeks with the device are going better.

M

I’m looking for the best fitness tracker that does not require an internet connection and a browser app in order to analyze and make my stats viewable. What are my options really?

Jim McDannald

Hi M- Which specific stats are most important to you?

M

Thanks for your reply! Steps and sleep (motion during sleep). But I’d prefer lack of data breadth to being dependent of “the cloud”. An offline Win/OS X application or even raw data (like CSV) would be my dream.

Jim McDannald

As you are probably aware, a large number of trackers will show the steps, but I’ll have to rack my brain a bit for the sleep portion showing up on the device. I think the now recalled Force used to show the amount of time in “sleep mode”. But offhand, I can’t think of a device that will show you sleep quality or motion during sleep on the device itself. I’ll keep digging.

I am sure there are more sophisticated ways of collected the raw data if you want to spend time searching. There are a lot of interesting video presentation and studies going on with people involved in Quantified Self. http://quantifiedself.com

M

Thanks for you reply again and thank you for the Quantified Self link.

Perhaps I expressed myself badly… I don’t have to be able to really see anything on the device itself (not sleep, not steps). I just meant that I want a device that can count activity (steps) and sleep and that can operate without “cloud software”. It IS okay If the device has cloud software, but I don’t want to depend on it. I want to be able to run to be able to run a Windows /OS X software that doesn’t need internet connection and still be able to see my stats.

Jim McDannald

M- Thanks for for clarification. Most software logs for trackers (Garmin Connect, Fitbit, Polar, Basis) are “thin clients” where they have a minimal amount of software on the desktop/mobile app but are almost completely cloud based. I don’t know of a tracker that primarily syncs to desktop software. Sorry that I can’t be more help.

Sarah

I’m surprised to see no mention of BodyMedia FIT – one of longest standing trackers that seems to work well. Why is that?

Erin

While I understand your point, I would love to know if the skin sensors on the FIT help it to collect more accurate data than any of these devices worn around the wrist?

Since i read this review last i purchased a Vivofit, just to be disappointed.
It does everything you say: good steps, great battery life, good hardware, water proof, display.
But, it lacks that polish that other fitness bands have. It lacks the style, lacks on the software (and i fear that they will never make it as good as others such as Fitbit).
There are such great functions that make it easier for an individual to log with the Fitbit app than with Garmin Connect. On top of that, the community base with Fitbit is much larger, the forums are empty… its lonely. The lack of support from the community and app outweigh my frustration of constant charging of my Fitbit.
Looking forward to the Jaybird Reign, which is purported to be more independent and self motivating without integrating others for motivation.
Also looking forward to the “find/leak” of Fitbit Charge/Surge/Pulse.

Jim McDannald

Hi neu-

Thanks for your thoughts. As we mention in the guide, no tracker is perfect and every single one has tradeoffs. For now, we think the Vivofit is the best tracker for most people. We hope to see theses devices and their software become more polished and accurate in the near future.

Jen

Great article – thanks!

Jen

Great article – thanks! I am actually looking for a tracker that does not have Bluetooth. I know there is no data to confirm any issues, but there is a lot of cancer in my family and I find the idea of wearing something that is emitting radiation 24/7 a bit creepy and would rather not go there. Are there any trackers out there that don’t use wireless technology, or where you can turn off the wireless and just turn it on to sync? I’d be happy just to get daily data – maybe I just need an old school pedometer, though I like the idea of the inactivity alarms, etc. Thanks for any thoughts!

Hi, I am a jockey and am very active, I am looking for a tracker that will count my calories and tell me about my meals , what to eat etc as well as doing all the other things they seem to do. I have purchased a misfit shine but after reading a lot of reviews, am now more confused than ever! can you tell me which one you would recommend?

Jim McDannald

Hi Shane, besides great food tracking and calorie estimation software, are there any other features that you really want with your tracker? (i.e. hip vs. wrist, visual display, smart weight scale integration). Once I know those options which you prefer, I’ll be able to get a better picture of what might work best for you.

Denis

I just ordered my vivofit based on your review, but I very much would like to hear your opinion on ankle mounted devices, or are you even going to have a go on the flyfit system?

Jim McDannald

HI Denis- Thanks for the comment. Though the Flyfit looks interesting, we generally don’t write up crowd funded products until they become available for sale.

Denis

Thanks for the quick response and for the review itself. But is the flyfit the first (to come) that fits at the ankle and would the vivofit work there as well? Are you going to review it as well or don’t you care that much for it? Because I think that the ankle is more of an indicator for activity then the wrist and should be also good for sleep analysis as well. As I’m not that much in need of a watch (or a display), I’d like to not wear something on my wrist and rather have it “hidden” at my ankle (or somewhere else).
Perhaps you could give me a recommendation on what i could consider to buy if not the vivofit.
I bought (and received this morning) the Garmin to give it a try, besides your review, because I’ve got an ant+ HRM from my Garmin FR305 and I’m very happy with it for years already.
As all of these devices track my activity, I’m interested in sleep tracking for “research”(curiosity) purposes. I hope the vivofit does track my HBR well also during my sleep. I’d prefer to see stairs counted as well and to work with my ant+ strap.
Thank you so much in advance!

Denis

P.S: And I’m not that much in need of motivating (at least I think so ), so not necessarily a red bar or vibration but just tracking to analyze it later. Thanks!

Denis

I discovered that it doesn’t track your hbr if you’re in sleep mode, that’s why I will return it. If you put it in sleep mode, it just tracks the movement but apparently not the hbr and that was the most important part to me. That’s kind of disappointing as I was quite satisfied with it being a Garmin to line it up with my Garmin FR 350 and to work with my old ant+ strap. I don’t see a reason why it wouldn’t be able to track my hbr while sleeping. It’s too bad. :/

Jim McDannald

Just for clarity, when you say “HBR” are you referring to heart rate?

Denis

Yes, i thought the correct term would be “heart beat rate”. Isn’t it?

Jim McDannald

Usually it’s referred to as “HR” heart rate or “PR” pulse rate, but I appreciate you clarifying :). There are so many acronyms in health/medicine that it can be confusing. In order to get heart rate date while you sleep, you’ll need either the Basis B1 tracker or a special device for your bed called Beddit. Epson and Mio are each releasing trackers with optical heart rate sensors but it unclear whether or not they will launch with sleep tracking features similar to Basis. Hope this helps.

Denis

Thank you very much! I will keep checking your review to stay up to date.

Eric Eisenhart

Are there any options that handle bicycling, walking, running and swimming?
Seems like all the wristband activity trackers do walking/running and a few of those can handle swimming. Smartphone app movement trackers often do bicycling and walking but would never work for swimming and aren’t even very good for running.

Jim McDannald

Hi Eric-

The Misfit Shine is the only current option that I am aware of that tracks these four activities. Swimming seems to be biggest hurdle due to the need for waterproofing. Be aware though, that the Shine does not count laps or distance. It assigns ‘Shine points’ to the activity based on time and intensity of your workout. Hope this helps.

Jim McDannald

Hi Eric, the Pebble was recently updated to include swim metrics. I’ll be testing it soon to see how it handles biking, walking and running.

Yuenglings

Nice displays, but two big negatives:
1. Mine kept popping off, and I finally lost it when I didn’t realize it had come off.
2. The mileage track was about 25% more than I actually did.

http://www.thisamericanbite.com/ Yosef

I just got the Misfit shine — and it’s OK. I’m pretty unimpressed by the app, and although the design is unique, I am not sure that I love wearing it on my wrist all the time. I chose she Shine as the primary activity I track is swimming.

Now I am second guessing my purchase and wondering if the Vivfit woud be a better option although the wristband/clasp issue concerns me as I have small wrists.

I’d love to see a review of fitness trackers specifically for swimmers.

Jim McDannald

Hi Yosef-

Unfortunately there isn’t a fitness tracker that does a good job of combining metrics from in the pool and on land. If you want to keep track of swim workouts, the Garmin Swim (http://sites.garmin.com/swim/) might be worth a look. We’ll let you know if a better fitness tracker for swimmers becomes available.

Jim McDannald

Hi Yosef- The Pebble has recently been updated to include swim metrics like lap count and stroke rate. We will be testing it soon, to see how accurate it is.

http://LukeRB.com/ Luke Bornheimer

Thanks for the thorough write-up! My brother-in-law is interested in getting a device to track and analyze his sleep; It doesn’t need to track steps or activity. What device would you recommend for this type of focused use case?

Also, any chance TWC is going to do a write-up on sleep tracking devices?

Jim McDannald

Hi Luke, thanks for the kind words about the guide. It’s definitely a category that we’ll look into once the devices become more accurate and have more scientific proof to back up their claims.

If your brother-in-law doesn’t want to wait, the two system I’d recommend are the Basis health tracker or Beddit. Instead of only relying on movement during the night, each of these systems use heart rate to help determine real sleep measures. Hope this helps.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

In the near future yes! In the meantime, see if this comment helps. Our expert delves into sleep/heart rate monitors briefly

The Garmin Vivofit is a decent tracker but honestly i think any of the trackers on the market are a waste of money. The only useful option on any of them right now is the sleep tracking abilities. They just do not have enough sensors to measure all the needed biometrics to truly be useful. You would be better off just getting a good heart rate monitor. Calories burned is just an estimate and could be misleading using that information. Your best guide to judging your activities and keeping track is going to be based on your heart rate.

Would Love to know how the new Runtastic Orbit compares against the current top pick. I find it appealing that one can wear it swimming… http://www.runtastic.com/orbit I currently have a fitbit flex and find it finicky when trying to charge it.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Forwarded to our lead researcher!

Jim McDannald

Hi Michael- We in the process of getting an Orbit in for testing. Our current pick is also waterproof and can be worn while swimming. To my knowledge, neither measures any swim metrics like laps or distance. There really isn’t a tracker that does a good job with swimming yet. Hope this helps.

Jim McDannald

Did you see that the Pebble has been recently updated with the ability to measure a number of swim metrics?

Michael Levinson

I saw… waiting for the iOS app to enable…

Carl

Garmin is now offering a free accessory to owners who have registered to eliminate the issue of bands coming unclasped:Accessorize vívofit® with vívokeeperWe know you do more than walk. You run; hike; climb; and do things only some of us dream about – that’s why we’re offering you this free vívokeeper.

vívokeeper is an easy-to-place black clasp that keeps vívofit securely on your wrist, no matter where your day’s activities lead you.

To get your free vívokeeper, simply select your locale 1 and follow the onscreen instructions. Your free vívokeeper is estimated to arrive in 4-6 weeks (if shipped to you). We know the vívokeeper is pretty cool, but we must limit you to one per person.

John123John

I was going to write a shortcomings for all the fitness trackers but this sentence explains everything everything I want.

“In a perfect world, we would be able to find a tracker that is worn on the wrist; is waterproof; and has wireless syncing, a legible screen, comprehensive app support, and a long battery life. Ideally, it would accurately track steps, pulse rate, sleep quality, and altitude. Unfortunately, that remains a pipe dream for now. If you take the sum of all the currently available trackers, it’s possible to do all these things, but there’s not one tracker that does it all.”

The features I care about most are sleep tracker, heart rate and wearability(comfort and water resistance). Also in this day and age, it should be able to sync data to an app.
Another feature that caught my attention is the Jawbone Up’s sleep cycle vibration alarm. I have been using an app and it has changed my mornings.. forever.

I do agree however, after reading all the reviews, the Vivofit seems like the best option now but is the perfect fitness tracker coming soon?

Neil Martin

Any updates in light of the lack of integration plans between fitbit and Healthkit on iOS 8?

Jim McDannald

I’ve been testing out Apple Health app for the past couple of weeks. Waiting to see if a few other major tracker companies announce official plans. We should have some thoughts on the subject in the next week or so.

Neil Martin

Though there are whole discussion boards full of complaints on this issue, I’ll say that it’s frustrating to “invest” in a platform who then doesn’t want to share or easily give you back your data if the next great thing comes along (not that healthkit is necessarily the next great thing).

Jeremy

Even though most Fitbit devices are great, since they won’t allow you to export the data to iHealth and limit what you can DO with YOUR DATA, it pretty much takes all their devices out of the equation. The main point is that since there is no perfect device, connecting the data of different devices is the “best” and Fitbitt prevents you form doing that and force you from leaving their ecosystem if a better device from another company comes out. Please take this into consideration.

dorkopter

After wracking my brain for a week, I finally chose the Garmin Vivofit (plus premium HRM) for myself and a Fitbit One for someone who is attempting a 50km trail walk next month.

The only problem is that I have ordered them from Amazon UK to be delivered to a hotel in London, so that a friend can haul them over next week. They’re a bit too expensive here.

dorkopter

Does the Vívofit® offer any functionality for its much touted water resistance, such as actually measuring how much you swam?

I’m still waiting for it to arrive, but as research gets focused only after the decision is made and resources committed, I didn’t realise that the water resistance was the feature, not its enabler.

veronicat

Have you check upon Bong2 or Microsoft Band?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Our refresh is imminent. Check back soon!

Zax

Garmin offers a free Fix for the band issue…. goto Garmin.com

Sol

Jim McDonald,
I am currently researching all these activity trackers and OMG it’s a headache. I really want one that tracks my calories burned, my steps, stairs, heart rate, and my intensity of exercise. I love to do my step aerobics and other classes and I want something that tells me how many calories I burned along with the steps/miles. I also like to jog wile pushing a stroller and I noticed that some will not record your steps while doing that. I like that I can see the information instead of waiting to log onto a computer or phone. Can you direct me or if any other person has some suggestions I would soooo much appreciate it.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’re refreshing this guide. Check back for the update soon!

Eric Fallabel

I bought the Jawbone Up for my wife last November. The band broke in May, after only six months. The failure mode was of apparent bending fatigue on the side of the band with the button. Eventually the button itself slid into the body of the band because of internal breakage.

Jawbone replaced that band under warranty in May, but now that replacement has also broken in the same manner. This time my wife made an explicit effort to be gentle with the band. That’s a 6-month life for each of two bands. Since the Up 24 looks like basically the same product (Bluetooth aside), I believe these results are relevant to both.

Jawbone’s customer service was quite good, as they offered to replace the second band even though it’s recently out-of-warranty. Still, I can’t believe how fragile these things are.

Robert Jewell

What if your priority is tracking and improving sleep? What wearable technology does that best?

Jim McDannald

The Basis Peak is the only wrist tracker that has a true measure of the different phases of sleep. Peak uses heart rate while the others all rely on motion. A number of others with HR monitoring abilities will be on the market soon: Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Surge and Jawbone UP3.

Scott

My dad wants a fitness tracker for Hanukah. Do you recommend the Garmin Vivofit with or without the heart rate monitor. Right now Amazon has the one without for $75 and with for $130

Jim McDannald

HI Scott-

If this is his first fitness tracker, I’d go without. Always an option to get him the heart rate monitor in the future, if he really gets into it.

sophistroland

Have you guys considered checking out the Pivotal Tracker 1? A different method of a fitness tracking where you pay for access to the app, but the band is free. I think it sounds like an intriguing concept, but I’d like to see how the product turns out.

Jim McDannald

Will publish a big update to the guide, including the Pivotal Tracker, very soon.

jalyst

Will it include ALL the next-gen trackers that’ve just come out, or will be out very soon?

Jim McDannald

We will do our best to include as many trackers that are currently available. Nearly impossible to include ALL the trackers

jalyst

No, you must include ALL!
JK, please REALLY do your best though.

BR.

Jim McDannald

Don’t worry, I’ve taken a lot of time with this update.

jalyst

So, has this “big update” already been published, or are the changes I see just small touch-ups before you release the big one?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

No, the bigger update is upcoming. You’ll know because the WAIT status will no longer be up top.

jalyst

Ah, that’s what that was,

I clicked on it & it took me to Amazon, so I then thought it must’ve meant something else.

Thanks for the clarification.

jalyst

Makes sense that the big update doesn’t come out too soon, as some of the next-gen. devices are still some ways off being publicly available, although you guys might have earlier access

William

Would be great to see the Mio Fuse included in the line up of products you review in the forthcoming update

Jim McDannald

We’ve been making some incremental updates to our The Competition section and recently updated our thoughts on the Mio Fuse. The optical heart rate sensor is great, but it’s significantly bulkier and wider than every other tracker.

http://www.mcelhearn.com/ Kirk McElhearn

I see you’re now recommending the Fitbit Charge. I was too, but after exchanging mine, I got a unit whose accuracy is terrible. This may be a fluke, but it’s quite disturbing. I’ve written it up here:

The final analysis isn’t in yet, that’s only an interim pick, they’ll be testing all the nextgen. stuff & releasing a final analysis in Jan.

Personally I think they need to allow themselves more time than that, so they can cover a wider gamut of nextgen. devices.

Jim McDannald

We will be releasing an update in early January and keep updating our thoughts as all the new fitness tracking devices (UP3, Apple Watch, etc) are reviewed/available for testing this spring.

jalyst

Some of them won’t be available/reviewed till late March early April???

Mike

I ordered a FitBit Charge based on this site as well – which is awesome and always spot on – unfortunately the unit I received wouldn’t synch and the battery couldn’t hold a charge. The exchange process and Customer Support has been a B- at best.

Gary

I love this website and your sibling website, sweethome, but I highly recommend you try out the Striiv Fusion. I stumbled upon it while deciding, and I’ve loved it since I got it. The notifications and silent alarm really put it over the top of the other trackers.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yep we saw them at CES they’re mentioned in this guide.

cr37e

I have and like the Garmin Vivofit very much. I don’t have a Smartphone, so I needed a tracker that would show me my steps ON the device. I’ve used it while walking, exercising with a personal trainer, swimming, and horseback riding and it has never come off. (I ordered the free accessory mentioned in the article, not because I’ve needed it in the past, but because it’s just one extra way to ensure I don’t lose the tracker.) Love that the battery lasts a year and that it has a built in watch, and mine came with a heart rate monitor that syncs automatically with the band, which is great for my equine activities.

My biggest complaint about the Vivofit is that it does not count your steps if you are pushing a shopping cart (baby carriage, etc.); those steps are just lost. I try to shop with a friend, so she can push the cart! A built in GPS (which seems like a no-brainer for Garmin) could fix this issue. I also wish it had either a vibrating (or a sound that I could turn off in meetings/movies, etc.) alert when I am idle too long; it can be hours before I notice the red alert band, especially if I’m deep in work on the computer or lounging in front of the TV. The lack of backlighting is another issue, but it doesn’t come up often. As the article says, if a $30 Timex can add a button-activated Indiglo backlight system for viewing the screen in the dark, why can’t Garmin?
I highly recommend the Vivofit, and look forward to what Garmin comes up with in the future (although the Vivosmart doesn’t sound like something I’ll buy, as the battery life is too short.)

FYI, they just released the FitBit Charge HR and Surge. Hopefully the Surge will be the new best cause I just ordered it

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We’re aware!

Eric Barnes

I ordered a Xiaomi Mi Band from aliexpress. For $20 you really can not go wrong. I haven’t received it yet

jalyst

I’ll just post this here, because when you 1st posted you only included the 1st sentence, in the hopes that folks wouldn’t notice the accusatory stuff you added after it:

“I really wish The Wire Cutter, and the Sweet Home reviewed products
that they didn’t get a profit from. If they are missing well known
products, its because they don’t get any kickback from when people
purchase the item. Its understandable, because obviously you guys
have to make money too for your time and money spent, I just wish you
took the cut because it ruins the credibility. I would rather see ads
and have you guys review all the products.”

That way, the journos here have a *right of recourse*…

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

After your comment he edited his and put it in. But thanks for taking note!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

No offense to you personally, but what you’re saying is 100% false. Let me explain-

First off, Xiaomi is a blatant Apple knockoff company. Like they don’t even hide it. It’s a really shitty practice & one I personally wouldn’t support no matter how great their product was. But that’s me & I don’t speak entirely for Wirecutter & Sweethome as a whole.

Secondly, we review/test/rec PLENTY of things we don’t get ANY affiliate revenue from. Good example is expensive windshield wipers from PIAA we just changed today due to stock issues. We won’t see a cent on a purchase for those. And that’s OK with us.

Finally, being that Amazon carries such an incredibly vast array of products, the chances of a product that is good/in high demand ending up on Amazon is fairly inevitable. Just how it works these days.

We have a policy here. What’s best for the reader is always #1 priority – even if we don’t make money.

Side note: if we did recommend a Xiaomi product, and something went VERY wrong (like the Fitbit rashes), how would we let our readers know they’ll be able to get refunds or returns honored? Like Xiaomi is such a reputable company that they would issue a mass US recall of a device & offer refunds/replacements? I highly doubt that. A situation like this would ruin our credibility.

-Tony

Eric Barnes

Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoy reading the articles, and I have bought products based off the reviews.

All I’m saying is that I have to Personally take the reviews with a grain of salt.

The largest reason I feel this way is because of the “Best eBook Reader” review left out entirely the kobo aura. And I can’t see any logical conclusion other than that.

I’m not trying to be rude, but at the same time, I would love it if you could convince me otherwise. I really do love this site and I appreciate the articles. they Have saved me personally lots of time

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Maybe you don’t understand how we do things here. When we use the term best, it means best for most people. Meaning the one you’d get for the person that’s not super into tech, not hip to what’s up in the overseas knockoff market, etc etc etc.

In the future will we look at the Kobo? Sure. It’s making waves. They’re owned by Japan’s Amazon (Rakuten) now and really seem to be doing some things right.

And just to make a note: Look at all the other reputable pubs out there. They say the same thing we do. The Kindle is the best. This is a shorter guide meant to get to the point, rather than some of our larger & more in-depth guides.

CNET: Kobo gets a generic nod for being ePub friendly. Consumer Reports: on screen for a millisecond?
Engadget: Kobo not even in the top 5
PCMag: in the 5/6 spot – WEIGHING IN AT 9 OUNCES! That thing is heavy compared to most other ebook readers.

I’m really glad you do not represent the company, because I feel that the way you handled my opinion was far from professional.

I still stated my fact, that a popular eBook was never reviewed, and without any logical reason. The whole point of the reviews are to show you the options out there to pick from, and which ones you guys felt were best.

The kobo was completely left out, thus I felt the logical conclusion was that there was no kick back. You have not personally disproved my original hypothesis.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

My apologies. I just really don’t like it when someone calls us out for something that is 100% false. I can promise you that the Kobo was not left out because there was no kickback.

Eric Barnes

What disqualified it?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Ask that question in the E-Book reader section of the comments, not in the Fitness Tracker section.

jalyst

To his defence there’s no way it shouldn’t have been in contention, it’s absolutely among the best options (or was).

Anyone who follows all the e-reader focused tech sites (there’s at least three good ones) knows that.

There’s no way it would’ve come out on top though, IMO…

jalyst

I read what he wrote, way more professional than what you’ve written. Believe it or not organisations like this have limited resources, they can’t compare everything under the sun. They do get to the ones that meet all their “openly stated” criteria eventually, it just takes time.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

That’s actually an extremely accurate observation (the comparison taking time). The Kobo will get looked it. It just hasn’t yet. The eBook reader guide is thinner than 99% of our other guides on here but will get updated eventually.

Phil

I’m really looking forward to your review of the new Fitbit offerings, as well as updated reviews of the newer competitor models!

TiredofNegativity

There are so many great devices on the market now!!!!!! Garmin has several new offerings (and they fixed the clasp problem months ago by sending users a garmin keeper), so does Fitbit but it appears they are a refreshed Force… I am looking forward to see what the Apple Watch has to bring. Withings Activite and Activite Pop are gorgeous (have not tried it), Misfit has come out with new devices as has Jawbone… This area is popping with new devices, so exciting!

jalyst

You aren’t about to spam every sub’r to this thread with your posts now, are you? 1 or 2’s fine, several is poor form…

TiredofNegativity

I posted twice…. geeeez

jalyst

Yep that’s cool, just don’t crazy with heaps more tis all.

TiredofNegativity

are you the board moderator?

jalyst

No. Just acutely aware of common netiquette.

/off-topic

TiredofNegativity

I was wondering; I moderate numerous websites for customers and wouldn’t jump on them for 2 posts, so I figured you weren’t a moderator. I am keenly aware of what Nettiquette is.

jalyst

The problem lies with your perception that you were jumped on, read my 1st response, & then my follow-up to your exasperated one. This can end now, no need to ‘make a mountain out of a molehill’ & create even more noise in the process.

Huh? C’mon now dude, you’re the mod, rise above the temptation to contribute to the problem

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Dude, it’s 1am and I’m going through old comments I didn’t have time to get to last week/less important replies. No harm in answering his question. Not going to close this thread as it seems to have died down, but you worry about you & me worry about me.

To reduce the SNR for your subscribers*, it’s best to only address stuff that’s on-topic, esp. if your responses are going to be massively delayed.

That’s my only point, not having a go at you!

Cheers.
*which should be ‘front & centre’ of your thinking

http://www.shiftintohappiness.com/ Nasri Nasir

Hi guys,

I’ve been looking at this post for awhile and see that most of it has got to do with activity involving steps, or distance. Alternatively, there are also people who just wants to keep track of their health while in the gym while doing push-ups or squats.

I’m looking at a fitness band that can detect motion, calories burned, and progression.. I googled and found this fitness band here at https://www.atlaswearables.com.

Would you guys consider doing a review or comparison about this, when it’s out, or maybe lead me to some comparison already done here that I might have overlooked?

Thanks!

jalyst

There’s at least one other I’ve seen folks recommend over that one, can’t recall the reasons, one I think was moov.

Swami Odo

Hello I have started to have trouble with my Vivofit (purchased September 2014) – it loses up to 15 minutes per day, and so I cannot rely on the watch feature. As a result, I now wear the vivofit on my right wrist, and a regular watch on my left wrist (?!). I note that others are having this problem, as discussed in their forums. Syncing the device with my PC resets the time, but it still continues to run slow. When I contact vivofit customer service, (twice), get me to update my software, but also tell me they are aware of this problem, and are working on a new software fix to solve the problem but cannot provide an estimate of when this fix will be completed. They specifically do not offer to replace my obviously defective vivofit. I do very much like the activity monitor feature that warns when I have been inactive for over an hour, but I would have expected Garmin to resolve problems with this device in a timely manner, or provide a replacement.

Jim McDannald is a writer, residency trained podiatrist and assistant distance running coach at McGill University. Jim has been combining his love for technology and sports since learning to code his college cross country team's website. Along with writing for The Wirecutter and the Daily Relay, Jim is currently learning French and getting in shape for a half marathon.

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